Amazon announced its plans to build its first large-scale wind farm in Brazil with a capacity of 49.5 MW, anticipating to generate 255 GWh annually of renewable energy when it comes online.
This project, located in the Seridó Wind Complex, marks Amazon’s second commitment to renewable energy in Brazil, following the introduction last year of a 122 MW solar park.
These initiatives aim to supply clean energy for both Amazon’s data centers and operations, as well as the surrounding local communities, aligning with Amazon’s commitment in the Climate Pledge to achieve net-zero emissions in all its operations by 2040.
“Amazon is on track to power 100% of our operations with renewable energy by 2025 as part of our Climate Pledge commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, and our renewable energy projects in Brazil are a significant part of that effort.
“We are committed to making our operations in Brazil more sustainable, and these projects will provide clean energy to help power AWS data centers and logistics centers, in addition to creating jobs and stimulating economic growth in the communities where our customers live and work,” explained Cleber Morais, Regional Director of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The construction of the wind farm has generated approximately 1,000 jobs in Brazil, with nearly half of those positions filled by residents from local communities within Rio Grande do Norte, according to Elera Renováveis, the promoting entity.
This region is recognized as one of the best in the world for onshore wind energy generation.
Elera Renováveis is the driving force behind the Seridó Wind Complex, a diversified project covering hydroelectric plants, wind farms, solar parks, and biomass facilities, all committed to generating clean, safe, and sustainable energy for decarbonization.
The construction of the wind farm incorporated innovative technology, such as the use of drones to install transmission line conductors.
The enormous turbines, with a diameter of 150 meters, equivalent to the length of almost 1.5 soccer fields, are expected to prevent the emission of 148,000 metric tons of CO2 once operational.
In addition to job creation, the promoter offered training programs to empower local residents and facilitate their participation in the construction.
Amazon has made progress in its goal to operate with 100% renewable energy by 2025, surpassing its initial commitment for 2030.
The company has a total of 479 solar and wind projects worldwide, which, once operational, are estimated to produce over 71,000 GWh of clean energy per year, enough to power 6.7 million American households.
In addition to its positive environmental impact, Amazon’s solar and wind parks have stimulated significant economic investments globally, generating around USD$12 billion in investment between 2014 and 2022, and supporting approximately 39,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2022 alone.
