“It’s another vital step in our energy transition journey. This project phase is necessary to validate the technology and prompt Brazil’s biggest offshore wind mapping campaign, which is vital to assess the technical feasibility of future offshore wind energy facilities,” says Maurício Tolmasquim, Petrobras’s Energy Transition and Sustainability Director.
“This year, the equipment has recorded nonstop measurements, without intercurrences, which represents an important scientific milestone for the Brazilian offshore wind energy since the analyses consider a complete climatic period, including months of the year with more intense wind,” adds Antonio Medeiros, ISI-ER’s Research & Development Coordinator.
Petrobras invested BRL 11.3 million in the first BRAVO version through the Research and Technological Development Program for the Electric Power Sector regulated by the National Electric Power Agency (ANEEL). Phase two of measurements will receive funds allotted to the RD&I of the National Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuel Agency (ANP).
“This project is a great example of Petrobras’s RD&I strategy that supports and strengthens our fair energy transition leadership. Through partnerships with prominent national institutions, we drive the technological development of renewable energies, particularly this research, with innovations in offshore wind energy,” affirms Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras’s Engineering, Technology, and Innovation Director.
Petrobras is the company with the highest potential for offshore wind generation projects in studies in Brazil of capacity registered with Ibama. It invests in research and development to enable innovative offshore wind projects.
Technology
BRAVO is a floating LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) model developed with national technology for the first time. It is an optical sensor that uses laser beams to measure wind speed and direction, generating data compatible with the wind turbine operation environment. It can also record weather variables like atmospheric pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity, including oceanographic variables like waves and sea currents. All that data is essential to determine the potential of a wind energy production area. The equipment weighs seven tons, measures four meters in diameter and four meters in height, and has an energy system powered by photovoltaic solar energy modules.
