According to the state's government, the three projects – the Canoas, Lagoa 1 and Lagoa 2 projects of 30MW each – will be ready by the end of 2017.

The government committed to support the projects by speeding up environmental licenses, building roads and support training.

The three projects mark the entrance of Paraíba state in the competitive auctions that have spurred huge development across the country, despite its location in the northeastern region where most of Brazil's wind potential and existing capacity are located.

The state has a wind installed capacity 69MW, 58MW of it operated by Pacific Hydro close to the coast, which has been operational since 2007 and has PPAs under the Proinfa programme.

The federal university of Campina Grande is concluding a new wind map for the state. As in other states in Brazil's northeastern region, wind development is moving inland away from costly seaside sites.

Força Eólica do Brasil sold power from the three projects in the A-5 auction held last year. According to auction rules, the wind projects will have to start operations by 1 January 2019.

Preliminary approval of the three projects by the power regulator Aneel show that Força Eólica plans to install at each wind farm 15, 2MW turbines with rotors of 114m in diameter.

All Iberdrola's projects in Brazil have contracted turbines from Spanish OEM Gamesa.

Iberdrola has 17 wind projects under construction and in operation in Brazil, adding up to more than 500MW, and mostly located in the northeastern states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Norte

Last week, the company signed contracts for the supply of 42, G114, 2MW turbines for three projects in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte (the Calanago 6 and Santana 1 project with 30MW each and the Santana 2 project with 24MW) which will be operational by January 2017.