The companies will work together using their experiences and knowledge to identify the feasibility of potential projects in the next two years.
Petrobras and Norwegian Equinor signed this Wednesday (26) a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their strategic partnership. The objective is to promote the development of initiatives focused on renewable energies in line with the business model of the two companies. The agreement provides that the companies will carry out studies aimed at developing a potential offshore wind project in Brazil.
“We are happy to sign another MoU with Petrobras, further strengthening our strategic partnership. Brazil has great potential in renewable energies. We want to understand how our expertise can contribute to offshore wind power generation in the country, as we already do in Europe,” said Anders Opedal, President of Equinor in Brazil.
Brazil, due to its good wind conditions, is a country with significant potential for offshore wind power generation.
Equinor is one of the leading global companies in offshore wind power generation, operating the world's first commercial wind farm using floating turbines: Hywind Scotland, located off the coast of the UK. In the same region, Equinor operates two other large-scale offshore wind farms, both with fixed turbines on the ground (Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon). The three facilities supply renewable energy to over 650 British homes. Other projects in large-scale offshore wind power generation are also under development in other regions of the UK, Germany, Poland and the US.
“We used our vast offshore experience and combined oil and gas technology with existing wind field technologies in a way that made offshore wind power generation possible. Engineers used to working with oil and gas are now using their expertise to develop offshore wind farms,” adds Opedal. Equinor expects that a significant portion of global electrical energy will be provided by onshore and offshore wind farms by 2050.
Equinor's plans with Petrobras are to develop a profitable business model for renewable energy generation, starting with offshore wind and then increasingly to other matrices such as, for example, solar. The company believes that energy should not only be safe and sustainable, but also competitive, and plans to apply 15% to 20% of its investments in renewable energy projects in 2030.
In Brazil, Equinor has a 43,75% stake in Apodi, a solar project under construction in Quixeré, Ceará, operated by Scatec Solar. This is the first investment made by Equinor in solar energy worldwide. With 162MW, Apodi will supply electricity to 160 homes by the end of this year.
Equinor and Petrobras also have a strategic partnership in the Roncador field with the aim of increasing the oil recovery factor. The companies share technology, skills and experience to maximize the value of the field and extend its productive life.
