Enel Green Power Brasil ParticipaCoes has started construction of four wind farms and one solar plant in north-eastern Brazil totalling 1300MW.

In Piaui, the company is building the 396MW Lagoa dos Ventos 3 wind farm and the 256MW Sao Goncalo 3 solar park.

The other three wind projects are the 353MW Morro do Chapeu Sul 2, 206MW Cumaru and 99MW Fontes dos Ventos 2, which are being built in the states of Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte and Pernambuco, respectively.

Lagoa dos Ventos 3 is located in the municipality of Dom Inocencio and represents an investment of around $353m (€286m), Enel said.

The $142m Sao Goncalo 3 is located in the municipality of Sao Goncalo do Gurgueia, while the $342m Morro do Chapeu 2 is in the municipalities of Morro do Chapeu and Cafarnaum.

Cumaru is in Sao Miguel do Gostoso and will cost about $184m to build, with Fontes dos Ventos 2 in Tacaratu costing $84m.

Four projects are expected to start operating in 2021, with the exception of Lagoa dos Ventos 3, which is due to start commercial operations in 2022.

Enel Green Power chief executive Salvatore Bernabei said: “The start of construction of 1.3GW of new renewable capacity is an unprecedented milestone in the history of our company in Brazil, especially in view of the challenges imposed by the current scenario.

“These new projects further strengthen our position as leaders in Brazil’s solar and wind generation markets, while highlighting our commitment towards the development of the Brazilian renewable sector in order to diversify the country’s energy mix as well as contribute to the economic and social development of the local communities in which we are present.”