Chafariz Onshore Wind Complex

Chafariz reaffirms our commitment to onshore wind energy in Latin America

Operating plants Onshore wind Brazil Neoenergia

Iberdrola, through its Brazilian subsidiary Neoenergia*, has built the Chafariz wind farm complex in northeast Brazil, one of the company's largest wind power generation projects in the country and in Latin America. The new complex consists of 15 wind farms with a total installed power of more than 471.25 megawatts (MW), the new development was fully operation from January in 2022. 

Complejo eólico terrestre Chafariz
Operating plant

Chafariz onshore wind farm complex

Ubicación
Location Santa Luzia (Paraíba, Brazil)
Capacidad instalada
Total installed capacity 471,25 MW
Puestos de trabajo
Local employment 1,400 workers
Calendario
Comissioning 2022

The Iberdrola Group reaffirms its commitment to onshore wind power in Brazil with the construction of a new flagship project. The Chafariz project, which came into operation in 2022, is located next to the town of Santa Luzia, in one of the windiest areas in the Americas. This large renewable facility consists of 15 wind farms and has a total installed power of 471,25 MW, of which 61% is for the Regulated Market (ACR) and 39% for the Open Contracting Environment (ACL).

The complex has 136 SG132-model wind turbines, with a unit capacity of over 3.465 MW. It is one of the most modern and efficient wind turbines on the market, with a height of 150 meters and a blade length of 64.5 metres. The domestically manufacutred nacelles weigh more than 70 tonnes and were installed at a height of 84 metres, the equivalent of a 28-storey building.

Bringing the operation forward 

On 29 July 2021, Neoenergia started commercial operation of the wind farm complex by commissioning the first 10 wind turbines, with an installed capacity of 34.65 MW. The Brazilial subsidiary was thus 17 months ahead of the term of the contract in the Regulated Market.

In January 2022 the 15 wind farms of the complex came into operation, Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva. with an installed capacity of 467.77 MW, which is enough to supply one million people per year.  

Construction of the complex began in October 2019. Since then, more than 1,400 jobs have been generated, at peak workloads, of which aprroximately 40 % were local labour.

In addition to contributing to job creation, the company has carried out various actions to benefit the municipalities around Santa Luzia. It has improved access to the wind farm area and built 116 kilometres of road, as well as developing other social and environmental initiatives such as training courses, installing photovoltaic panels in health units and rehabilitating a school.

One of Brazil's largest renewables complexes 

Neoenergia also has in the same region the photovoltaic plant Santa Luzia External link, opens in new window.the company's first solar plant for centralised generation. After its entry into operation in March 2023, it had a capacity of 149.3 MW, enough to supply more than 100,000 homes. Thus, together with Chafariz, they form one of the largest renewable complexes in the country, with the capacity to meet the energy demand of around three million Brazilians.

Santa Luzia's production will be entirely destined for the Open Market Environment and has already marketed part of its energy through a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) with Claro. The contract will run for 12 years from 2022. 

Iberdrola, world leader in renewable energies

At Iberdrola, we dare committed to renewable energy more than two decades ago as a fundamental pillar on which to build our safe, clean and competitive business model. Thanks to this vision, we are today world leaders in renewables, reaching 44,148 MW of clean energy in operation at the end of september 2024.

This commitment is reflected in our Strategic Plan, in which we will allocate €15.5bn gross to renewables. More than half of this amount is focused on offshore wind in the US, UK, France and Germany; 28% on onshore wind and 18% on solar.

10 years of West of Duddon Sands

In 2024, ScottishPower Renewables celebrates a decade of delivery in offshore wind as West of Duddon Sands windfarm marks its tenth year of operation.

Built and operated as a 50/50 partnership, the West of Duddon Sands windfarm was brought to life in 2014 and since then it has been powering a cleaner and greener future from the Irish Sea, around 14km off the Cumbrian coastline.

Over the last ten years, it has produced enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of around 340,000 homes each year – that’s the same as the size of the city of Leeds.

The project marked investment of more than £1 billion and supported more than 1,000 jobs at peak construction, with around 40 long-term skilled jobs created at its operations and maintenance base in Barrow-in Furness.

It also supported multi-million investment, jobs and growth at Belfast Harbour – the first purpose-built offshore wind installation and pre-assembly harbour in the UK and Ireland. 

In its ten years of existence West of Duddon Sands also marks a milestone in the advancing construction technology of offshore wind. At the time of construction, the windfarm benefitted from using two of the world’s largest and most advanced vessels to install the foundations and turbine components, allowing work to continue offshore during one of the worst winters for storm force winds.

As its first-ever offshore windfarm, it has cemented its place in Iberdrola history and paved the way for ScottishPower to become one of the biggest players in the UK.
 

* Neoenergia, S. A. is 50 % + 1 share indirectly owned by Iberdrola, S. A.