By Abbas Nazil
A major wind power project in northeastern Brazil is expected to prevent more than two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, following a $200 million loan from the New Development Bank, the financial institution established by BRICS countries.
The 648-megawatt Serra da Palmeira Wind Complex in Paraíba, developed by CTG Brazil, comprises 108 turbines spread across 23 wind parks in five municipalities.
The project is one of Brazil’s latest large-scale renewable energy developments and is being positioned as an important contribution to the country’s transition towards cleaner electricity.
Construction of the complex began in October 2023 and was completed two years later in October 2025, following a major logistical operation involving the transportation of large turbine components, installation of cables and construction of towers measuring 120 metres high.
The project received an $800 million investment, with the New Development Bank approving a 1.4 billion yuan loan, equivalent to about $200 million, in September 2025.
CTG Brazil Finance Director Rodrigo Egreja said the financing provided access to substantial resources at a competitive cost while improving the project’s financial predictability and viability.
He added that funding from a BRICS institution also strengthened confidence among the project’s partners and provided additional institutional credibility.
The wind complex is located in Brazil’s semi-arid Caatinga ecosystem, where strong and consistent winds provide favourable conditions for renewable electricity generation.
According to CTG, the facility will generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of about 720,000 homes.
The project uses advanced monitoring systems, with technicians in its control room tracking thousands of real-time data points from sensors and cameras to maintain the turbines’ performance.
Each turbine has a generation capacity of six megawatts, contributing to the complex’s overall 648-megawatt capacity.
Carlos Nascimento, CTG Brazil’s senior operations and maintenance manager, described the project as the company’s largest wind farm outside China and said it demonstrated the potential of cooperation between Brazil and China in advancing sustainable energy development.
The New Development Bank’s support for the project highlights the growing role of development finance in expanding renewable energy infrastructure in emerging economies.
Brazil is already a global leader in renewable electricity, while its electricity demand continues to grow, creating a need for additional generation capacity with lower carbon emissions.
The Serra da Palmeira project is therefore expected to contribute both to Brazil’s energy security and its efforts to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-based electricity generation.
CTG estimates that the emissions avoided by the wind complex could exceed two million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year compared with an equivalent fossil-fuel power plant.
