By Celso Chagas
(BrasilEnergia) Interest in the development of the offshore wind sector in South America and all the topics related to this industry are two of the points that will be debated in Rio de Janeiro during South America Offshore Wind 2024. Launched in 2023 by Quest Offshore, the second edition of the event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel from September 17 to 19.
The conference will cover expert views on permit planning for projects and related topics, as well as have developers sharing views on their portfolios. The organizers’ goal is to bring together supply and demand and facilitate the commercialization of projects.
“South America Offshore Wind, in its 2nd edition, is consolidating itself as an event aimed at foreign investors in partnership with national ones, as it is held in English and focuses on attractive panels for international companies to understand the regulatory, environmental and financial status of the development of the wind industry in Brazil. Thus, expectations are high regarding networking and learning about new points of view on the subject”, says Juliana Melcop, from Veirano Advogados.
The lawyer, who will mediate one of the panels on the first day of the conference, highlights that the industry interested in the offshore wind segment in Brazil is eagerly awaiting the approval and sanction of the legal framework. “We are fighting for the government to not only provide the law, through the approval of PL 576/2021, but also to indicate a schedule of regulations and incentives for the installation of the industry in the country, with the possibility of creating a pipeline of projects by companies. Thus, the event will echo the demands of companies and help boost their claims,” she argues.
Investor interest and government action
Juliana highlighted to Brasil Energia that the lack of forecasts for the installation of this market in the country is due to the lack of predictability of government action in the sector. According to the lawyer, one of the points of attention for companies interested in investing in the offshore wind segment in Brazil is the lack of criteria for the auction for the exploration of areas to be granted by the government. She points out that projects may become unfeasible if agents have to finance a very high amount to explore the seabed.
“In addition to the auction bid, companies also have to bear the cost of leasing the area and participating in energy production, which has the potential to become very expensive. At a stage where we are still developing technology, if the government sets prices too high, companies will not want to invest and will disengage,” she said.
Read original article: https://brasilenergia.com.br/energia/eolica/desenvolvimento-do-setor-eolico-offshore-e-tema-de-evento-no-rio-de-janeiro