Windey Energy will begin assembling BESS in Brazil after acquiring a former Siemens Gamesa wind turbine factory in Camaçari, Bahia, as the company establishes a local manufacturing base for storage solutions.
The Chinese energy company initially considered using the facility to produce wind turbines in Brazil, but shifted its focus to battery storage as grid constraints and renewable energy curtailment increased the need for flexibility solutions.
Windey Energy said the existing industrial infrastructure at the 25,000 m² site, including offices, cranes, and production facilities, provides a competitive advantage by reducing the time and capital required to start local BESS manufacturing. The company estimates total investment of up to BRL 100 million ($18 million) over the next three to five years, including more than BRL 30 million in the first year.
In the first phase, Windey will use a 1,500 sqm production area to assemble BESS units from imported battery packs supplied by its facilities in China. The first locally assembled systems are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027.
The company is also preparing to increase local content to meet Brazilian development bank BNDES requirements. Planned locally sourced components include containers, metal structures, HVAC systems, cables, connectors, energy management system (EMS) panels, and EMS software.
A second expansion phase will bring module manufacturing to Brazil, allowing Windey to move toward cell-to-pack production. In this stage, only lithium cells would be imported, while module assembly would take place locally. The expansion could increase annual production capacity from an initial 1.5 GWh to between 5 GWh and 7 GWh.
Windey said its Brazilian BESS solutions will target utility-scale, commercial and industrial (C&I), distributed generation, and agricultural applications. For large-scale projects, the company will offer 5 MWh containerized systems aimed at supporting renewable integration, reducing curtailment, and participating in Brazil’s capacity market.
The company has already secured its first C&I storage sale in Brazil, supplying a 2 MWh system for shopping centers to reduce peak electricity demand in partnership with local integrator 499 Solar. Windey is also developing smaller 261 kWh systems for commercial and industrial customers.
Windey said the Camaçari facility will also serve as an asset monitoring and component repair center for Brazil and Latin America. Operations and maintenance activities will be supported through a partnership with Brazilian maintenance specialist Airbox, while the company’s research and development center at SENAI CIMATEC in Salvador will focus on adapting storage solutions to local market needs.
From pv magazine Brazil