General Electric sees promise in Brazilian wind energy sector
December 6, 2012General Electric foresees rapid expansion of Brazilian wind energy
Brazil may be home to the fastest growing wind energy market in the world. General Electric, which has several ambitious wind energy projects taking root in the country, has announced that it expects to see some $1 billion in turbine sales in Brazil over the next decade. There are numerous other energy companies that have flocked to the country to take advantage of the quickly growing wind energy sector, but General Electric is expected to be a dominating force therein for the foreseeable future.
GE predicts up to 3GW in new installations annually
General Electric expects to see some 1.5 to 3 gigawatts of wind energy capacity installed annually in Brazil, with a large portion of this capacity coming from wind turbines that the company supplies to the various projects taking place in the country. General Electric notes that it has seen massive growth in the wind energy sector in just two short years. From 2010 to 2011, approximately 50% of all new wind energy installations in South and Central America were located in Brazil. This trend is expected to continue well into the future due to the country’s strong wind streams.
Brazil expects capacity to reach 15GW by 2021
The wind energy sector is growing so quickly that the Brazilian government expects the country’s total capacity to reach 15.6 gigawatts by 2021. This target may be significantly overcome if Chinese turbine developers can find a way to enter the Brazilian market. Chinese companies have been pushing for entry into the market for some time, but have yet to find a foothold, partly due to the strength General Electric shows within the country. It has been difficult for Chinese companies to find the support they need when there is already services and products being offered by a company the size of GE.
Fewer companies to occupy Brazilian wind energy sector
General Electric expects that fewer small companies will populate the wind energy sector in Brazil in the coming years. More mainstream companies are likely to replace these businesses. Though fewer companies will operate within the Brazilian sector, wind energy installations are expected to accelerate exponentially between now and 2021.