Chinese state-owned enterprise State Grid has begun construction of the largest power transmission concession project ever undertaken in Brazil in terms of investment. With an estimated investment of around BRL 23 billion, the project, located in Northeast Brazil, will use ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission technology to transport electricity generated in areas with strong renewable energy potential to major consumption centres in the central and eastern parts of the country.

The new transmission line will cross several Brazilian states and will include two converter stations and supporting infrastructure. The system will have a rated transmission capacity of up to five million kilowatts, helping to ease bottlenecks affecting the transmission of electricity generated in the Northeast. The company expects the project to become fully operational in 2029.

According to State Grid, the new infrastructure will play a central role in modernising Brazil’s energy mix by facilitating the use of renewable energy generated in the Northeast, particularly wind and solar power. The company estimates that the system will enable the annual utilisation of more than 20 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy, avoiding approximately 6.84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

(Source: Agência Brasil China, 14 July)