ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF WIND GENERATION IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL

Brazil has one of the cleanest energy matrices in the world, mainly a matrix based on hydropower. The research aims to identify and define variables that most strongly influence the economic viability of operating equipment and wind farms in Northeast Brazil, identifying the key performance factors for the economic analysis performed, such as technologies, equipment size and productive efficiency. The cash flow analysis allowed the calculation of the break-even for the different variables analyzed, equipment load factor, wind turbine investment and effective hours available for wind generation, among others. Although for the situation analyzed, wind generation projects in the Northeast of Brazil are economically viable, the profitability of these projects for the assumptions of the calculation assumed is still low, considering they generate a 15 year pay-back and a return rate of 9.22% p.a. as opposed to an assumed financing cost of 7.35% p.a.