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Latin America's largest electricity company, Brazilian firm Electrobras, has joined forces with another energy giant, China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), to develop a series of renewable energy projects. The first will be a 200MW offshore wind farm in waters off China's Jiangsu province.

The development is being pursued by Electrobras subsidiary, Furnas, and CTGC, with input from Energias de Portugal's (EDP) renewables business. Last year, CTGC bought 21.35% of EDP for €2.69bn. One of its competitors in the bidding for the stake in EDP was Electrobras.

Responding to “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç Offshore enquiries, Furnas' director of planning, management and investment, Olga Simbalista, explained that the Jiangsu offshore wind farm represents the first joint renewables project to move forward following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at the end of 2011 by Furnas and CTGC.

Construction of the wind farm is due to begin in the second half of this year, she added. The two energy companies plan further joint renewables projects in China and Brazil.

Renewables is a "new business focus" for Furnas, with development of a portfolio of renewable generating capacity one of its "main targets inside and outside Brazil," explained Simbalista.