Abstract
Wind power is one of the options for sustainable power generation in the
world. Moreover, offshore wind farms are considered more efficient
compared to onshore wind farms. Due to the absence of obstacles, the
wind profile offshore is stronger and more consistent, and wind power is
greater offshore. In the Southern coast of Brazil, near the town of Rio
Grande (32o S, 52o W), there are several successful onshore wind farms,
which indicate that offshore wind farms in this region could be even
more prosperous. Site selection for the installation of offshore wind
farms has to fulfil several criteria. We have applied some of them to
indicate potential locations for the construction of wind farms off the
coast of Rio Grande. We considered the coastal bathymetry, the type of
foundation suitable for the coastal platform deep, the intensity of the
wind, and the network of transmission lines. The navigation routes were
also considered, because there is a large port nearby. We determined
that the area that presents better accordance to those criteria has
about 165 square kilometres, which is about one fourth of the area of
Great Britain’s largest offshore wind farm. It is up to 100 kilometres
far from the shore, with a deep between 20 and 50 meters, with
persistent strong winds similar to those of the North Sea, where many
European offshore wind farms are located. Therefore, there is great
potentiality for the installation of offshore wind farms near Rio
Grande.