Brazil Establishes Offshore Wind Guidelines, Prepares Next Steps

Brazil has established guidelines for the regulation of offshore wind development, which include rules for defining development areas, allocating sites and structuring permitting procedures.

The guidelines, which were established by a resolution adopted by the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) on 1 April, regulate the Law on Offshore Wind Energy that was passed in January 2025.

The approval complies with the legal framework sanctioned in January 2025 and the deadlines established for the activities of the Offshore Wind Energy Working Group (GT-EO), instituted in October 2025, the Council said on 1 April.

The guidelines introduce criteria for identifying offshore areas, including an initial reference distance of 12 nautical miles from the coastline, which may be adjusted based on technical, environmental, economic and social studies.

It is anticipated that technical studies will be conducted by the Energy Research Company (EPE), with support from the Offshore Wind Energy Working Group, to assess the suitability of this locational parameter, potentially informing its eventual revision based on technical, economic, environmental, and social criteria, the CNPE said.

The resolution also allows the CNPE to designate priority areas for development and establishes the basis for future tenders.

A centralised digital system, the Offshore Area Management Single Portal (PUG Offshore), will be created to manage administrative procedures, including the process for obtaining the Declaration of Prior Interference (DIP), which is required for offshore project development. The framework also promotes greater institutional integration between federal authorities responsible for energy, environment, maritime activities and industrial policy, according to the CNPE.

According to the government, Brazil’s offshore wind potential is estimated at around 1,200 GW across the Northeast, Southeast and South regions. The sector is also expected to support large-scale industrial development and job creation over the coming decades. The CNPE says that offshore wind is estimated to generate more than 500,000 jobs by 2050.

As next steps, the government plans to prepare a draft regulatory decree for the Law on Offshore Wind Energy enacted in January 2025 and the approval flow for the issuance of Prior Interference Declarations (DIPs) by May 2026. According to the CNPE, the actions that will be taken after this include identifying areas for future tenders and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) issuing a Guidelines Ordinance for the commencement of permanent and planned bidding.

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