The Ministry of Mines and Energy announced today that Brazil has contracted 16.6 GW of wind power through its energy auctions.

Of this amount, 6.9 GW started operations in November 2015, 3.6 GW of projects are under construction and 6.2 GW in their early stages of development.

Brazil is now 10th on a global basis when it comes to installed wind power generating capacity, the government said. In 2014, the country reached the 4th position, climbing up five places in the global ranking.

In efficiency, Brazil is leading the global race with a 37% capacity factor in 2014.

According to the Ten Year Energy Plan 2024 (PDE 2024), the Brazilian installed wind power capacity should reach 24 GW by 2024. The government also expects solar and wind power to make the northeast region an exporter of electricity in the same period.