Brazil launches renewable energy innovation centre in Semi-Arid region

The Brazilian government has opened the Semi-Arid Region Renewable Energy Technology Centre (CTERSA), a new facility dedicated to research and development in clean energy at the Semi-Arid National Institute (INSA) in Paraiba. This was reported on the official website of Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The project received an investment of approximately US$6.46 million, funded by the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT), and aims to strengthen innovation in areas such as solar and wind energy, biomass, biofuels, and low-carbon hydrogen.

During the inauguration, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, emphasised that the centre will help consolidate the role of Brazil’s Semi-Arid region in the energy transition, promoting solutions tailored to the region’s needs and fostering sustainable development.

Covering an area of 2,205 square metres and equipped with specialised laboratories, CTERSA will also drive research into desalination, carbon capture, the circular economy, and smart energy management.

The initiative forms part of the government’s strategy to transform the Semi-Arid region into a hub for innovation in renewable energy and is part of the Strategic Agenda for 2032, a plan based on technical studies that identifies challenges and opportunities in the region’s energy sector, setting out more than 300 actions aimed at driving the energy transition and technological development in the region.

Between 2023 and 2025, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation allocated more than US$97.47 million to research and innovation projects in the state of Paraiba.