State of Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil's largest wind producer received the country's first offshore wind license at Areia Branca in 2025—transitioning from salt extraction to technology platform through $5 billion planned investment.
Rio Grande do Norte consolidated its position as Brazil's most sustainable state for clean energy in 2024, producing more wind power than any other Brazilian state. The 2024 national expansion added 1,816 MW to state capacity—third-highest nationally after Minas Gerais and Bahia. Across Brazil, $10 billion in wind investments created 13,000 jobs, with significant concentration here.
The state received Brazil's first offshore wind energy license in 2025, authorized for installation at Areia Branca. This coastal town, historically known for salt production and strategic ports, now marks a new phase: the country's inaugural offshore project transforming a commodity-extraction economy into a technology platform.
Vestas has operated in Rio Grande do Norte for over 15 years—foreign capital anchored by natural resource advantages. Constant trade winds combined with high solar irradiance create dual renewable potential. This concentration attracts international companies, generating employment multipliers across the local economy.
Salt and wind share geographic logic: coastal flats with persistent breezes. The Areia Branca salt works that once dominated local employment yield to turbine manufacturing and installation. This transition demonstrates how industrial sequences—salt extraction → energy extraction → technology platform—can transform resource peripheries into renewable centers. The state's $5 billion planned onshore investment suggests the pattern accelerates.