(Eixos.com.br) Amid market pressure to hold the first auction for offshore wind power generation in Brazil, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) opened a public consultation on July 14th to improve the methodology for selecting areas for the activity. The objective of the consultation is to refine the definition of technical, environmental, economic, and social criteria for identifying viable areas.
The proposed methodology was developed by the MME in partnership with the EPE – Energy Research Company and is in line with the Marine Spatial Planning (PEM) guidelines.
The legal framework for Offshore Wind Power (Law No. 15,097/2025) was signed into law in January of this year by President Lula (Workers’ Party), after an intense debate on items unrelated to the activity that were included in the text.
The override of presidential vetoes in the text led to tensions between the government and Congress and ultimately resulted in the publication of a new provisional measure on July 11th to avoid impacts on energy tariffs.
The sector has complained about the delay in defining the rules for holding the offshore wind auction, which has led to a slowdown in the sector’s preparations in the country over the past year. Investors point to the need for greater clarity to plan for the potential bid.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has indicated that it may follow the model of permanent offer of areas, similar to that of the oil and gas exploration and production industry.
The progress in the discussions comes weeks after Ibama issued the first preliminary license for a project in this segment in Brazil. The license was issued for a pilot project by Senai in Rio Grande do Norte, which envisages the installation of two wind turbines with a total installed capacity of up to 24.5 megawatts (MW).
Brazil Energy Insight 
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