Acciona reaches full BNDES-compliance

BRAZIL: Spanish manufacturer achieves 60% local supply ability ahead of January 2016, and makes approved supplier list of national development bank BNDES.

by Jacki Buist 28 July 2015

Acciona opened a nacelle assembly plant in Bahia earlier this year

Acciona “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç has been given full certification by the Brazilian development bank BNDES, ahead of the increased requirements in 2016.

It is now confirmed for next year as an approved supplier for wind farm developers seeking the low-rate BNDES financing, according to the company.

BNDES' Finame financing is considered essential for turbine manufacturers to offer equipment at competitive prices for developers in Brazil.

The bank has required increasing levels of local content supply, reaching 60% of components, and a nacelle production in the country, by January 2016.

The Spanish multinational opened a turbine assembly facility in Simoes Filhoe, in Bahia, east Brazil, earlier this year.

The plant can produce 100 AW3000 turbines a year, according to the company, with the potential to double output when required. It also has a tower production facility in Brazil.

Acciona was given renewed BNDES approval in September 2013. It had been one of five turbine manufacturers to be removed from the list of accredited suppliers when BNDES introduced a higher local content compliance from January 2013, which required three major components — from blades, towers, hubs and nacelles — to be made in Brazil.