Gaucho shipyards could serve as a support base for the offshore wind industry

Still with an activity far below what occurred at the height of the naval hub, the shipyards in the Southern Half of Rio Grande do Sul see a new opportunity on the horizon. With the encouraging prospects for the implementation of the offshore wind industry (at sea) in the State, these structures may also serve as a support base for energy companies that will invest in this area.

The planning and development manager of Portos RS (public company responsible for managing the hydroport system in Rio Grande do Sul), Fernando Estima, reveals that a meeting will be held with representatives of the Ecovix shipyards (from Rio Grande) and EBR (from São José do Norte) to discuss the naval industry and the use of these complexes for offshore wind activity. This meeting will take place during the Intermodal South America fair, which takes place between February 28th and March 2nd, in São Paulo.

Estima recalls that there are more than 20 offshore wind initiatives being processed by Ibama with the intention of installing them on the coast of Rio Grande do Sul. “This is due to the quality of the winds and the adequate depths for this type of towers”, comments the director. He details that the areas of the shipyards can be used for the transport of equipment, personnel and even for the construction of the wind turbine towers that will be placed in the ocean. “And then there will be a maintenance industry for these projects”, emphasizes the member of Portos RS.

This proximity between the port operation and the energy sector also encouraged Portos RS’s decision to join the Brazilian Association of Wind Energy (Abeeólica), an action that will also be made official during Intermodal South America. At the event in São Paulo, other topics on the agenda will be discussed. In addition to Estima, the meeting will feature a delegation from Rio Grande do Sul formed by vice-governor Gabriel Souza, president of Portos RS, Cristiano Klinger, mayor of Rio Grande, Fábio Branco, state secretary of Transport, Juvir Costella, among others.

According to Estima, with Grupo Ultra the plan to convert the Refinaria de Petróleo Riograndense into a biorefinery will be discussed. With Rumo, the company that owns the rail network concession in Rio Grande do Sul, the idea is to promote a study on this modal in the State. The manager of Portos RS points out that it is necessary to update existing information on transport carried out in this way. With regard to Compass, which controls Companhia de Gás do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (Sulgás), the objective is to discuss strategies so that the supply of natural gas can reach the municipality of Rio Grande. Estima adds that the alternative considered is the transport of gas by sea to the city, and then its storage (tanking) could be done by a third party or by Compass itself.

In turn, the theme with GM is to consolidate the export of vehicles manufactured by the automaker in its unit in Gravataí through the port of Rio Grande. There is a fear that this demand will be diverted to terminals in other states. “It’s good to remember that we have a yard covering 14 hectares, walled, secure and lit, and we cannot let the decision whether the production is going to be exported through Rio Grande be seasonal. We want to establish a stronger position and we are going to see what we need to do that”, emphasizes the manager of Portos RS. Last year, around 9,000 vehicles produced by the company left the state through the port in Rio Grande do Sul.