Project is the largest transmission of the company in operation and, in its construction, generated more than 2,000 jobs and social and environmental benefits for the local population.  

Neoenergia has just started the commercial operation of the Jalapão Transmission Line, LT 500 kV Miracema – Gilbués II – Barreiras II. A LT 500 kV Miracema – Gilbués II – Barreiras II is now the largest extension of the company in operation in the segment, with 728 kilometers passing through the states of Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí and Bahia. The project was acquired in Lot 4 of Auction 02/2017, carried out by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) in December 2017, and was energized 15 months in advance of the regulatory body's contractual forecast.  

The function of this Line is to expand the transmission network to expand the energy exchange between the North and Northeast regions, facilitating the flow of energy generated by the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant (PA) – an asset that has the participation of Neoenergia and, with an installed capacity of 11,233.1 MW, is the largest all-Brazilian power plant.  

The energization of the Jalapão Line marks the delivery of all projects acquired by the company in auctions held in 2017, adding RAP (Allowed Annual Revenue) of R$ 217 million. " We deliver all projects with anticipation of deadlines and strategic and efficient use of resources. With our investments in Transmission, we contribute to the development of the Brazilian electricity sector, assisting in the safety and reliability of the system for the expansion of renewable energies. In addition, we generate jobs and income in the areas where weoperate," says Fabiano Uchoas, Director of Transmission at Neoenergia.  

The Line has six conductors per phase, which increases its power and efficiency. In addition, to improve the quality of the service, capacitor benches were installed in series with the LT 500kV Gilbués II – Barreiras II, equipment that serves to - increase the transmission capacity and the flow of energy, especially in long Transmission Lines such as jalapão - are 416 kilometers in the first stretch and 312 kilometers in the second. The project also included the expansions of the Miracema (TO), Gilbués II (PI) and Barreiras II (BA) substations.  

There are more than 1,400 towers of the Cross Rope model, with an average of 46 meters high. If all of them were placed on top of each other, they would be 66 kilometers high, which is equivalent to five times the average height in which commercial airplanes fly or at a distance between the cities of São Paulo and Guaruja, located in the state of São Paulo. In the Jalapão project, 13,100 kilometers of conductive cables were used, that is, three times the distance from Oiapoque (AP) to Chuí (RS) or an extension greater than the distance between São Paulo and Moscow. The steel used totals more than 15,000 tons, enough to erect almost two Eiffel towers.  

Benefits for the region

The project also resulted in economic and socio-environmental benefits for the local population. Among other actions, Neoenergia promoted the solution of an environmental liability from works paralyzed around the Transmission Line, of structures abandoned on site for more than five years, before the acquisition of the project. The initiative allowed the environmental recovery of the stretch, allowing the area to resume its previous natural conditions, and was authorized and accompanied by Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources).  

"All actions are aligned with Neoenergia's corporate purpose of stimulating sustainable development in our areas of operation. We generate more than 2,000 jobs at the peak of the works, solve the environmental liability and create a strategy for the reuse of structures andmaterials", says Pedro Herrmann, implementation manager of neoenergia's Jalapão project.  

Approximately 4,000 foundations were removed from an uncompleted Transmission Line, totaling 1,200 cubic meters of concrete, crushed into small pieces, enough to castarate approximately 24,000 square meters of streets or roads. The inert material was applied in the accesses to the towers in the municipalities crossed by the Transmission Line, enabling improvements in the roads throughout the municipalities affected by the project. In addition, part of other materials, mainly steel, was converted into the purchase of more than 900 basic baskets for donation to people in vulnerable situations.  

Investments in Transmission

Neoenergia has been expanding its investments in Transmission. The company has, among assets in operation and under construction, more than 5,000 kilometers of lines spread in 13 states of the country. From January to September 2021, R$ 1.5 billion in investments was allocated to the segment. There are six projects in licensing and construction, with emphasis on the last projects acquired:

Lot 2 of Auction 01/2020, called Morro do Chapéu (BA, MG and ES), held by ANEEL in December 2020 – which provides for the construction of 1,091 km of Transmission Line, substation expansions, in addition to a new substation.  

Lot 04 of Auction 02/2021 held by ANEEL in December 2021 – which is composed of a 500 kV Estreito substation, located in the municipality of Ibiraci, in the state of Minas Gerais, and has three synchronous compensators -300/+300 Mvar.