Offshore wind farms on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte and potential socio-environmental conflicts

Abstract

This paper characterizes the inaugural context of offshore wind turbine implementation in Brazil, focusing on the coast of Areia Branca, Rio Grande do Norte. The analysis centers on the constitution of a "public arena" (Cefaï) for negotiations among economic, political, and social actors regarding the socio-environmental impacts on four artisanal fishing communities: Morro Pintado, Redonda, Cristóvão, and Ponta do Mel. The study employs participant observation and experience reports derived from a university outreach project (CRDH/UFERSA) that provides popular legal counseling to the impacted communities. It discusses the tensions between the national energy transition plan, under the aegis of neo-extractivism, and the protection of traditional territories guaranteed by the PNPCT. Partial results reveal power asymmetries in democratic participation rites, where the use of technical language by private sector agents and the mediation of local leadership aim to legitimize environmental licensing. It is observed that while the private sector focuses on the technical feasibility of the "Test Site," fishers express concerns about the loss of fishing routes and the precariousness of their ways of life, demanding Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes.