en.Wedoany.com Reported - ISA Energia's Block 3 of the "Piraquê" transmission project in Brazil has been energized in the state of Espírito Santo, marking 100% physical progress of the project, 16 months ahead of the deadline set by the Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL). The project was awarded in Transmission Auction No. 01/22, with the regulatory agency estimating total investments at R$4.4 billion (based on actual values as of December 2025), aiming to transmit renewable energy produced in northern Minas Gerais and drive Brazil's energy transition. The commissioning of Block 3 eliminates the risk of system overload in scenarios of high power exchange between the Northeast and Southeast regions, while enhancing the stability of the Espírito Santo transmission network, improving high-capacity power transmission capabilities, and reducing the probability of failures. With the energization of this block, the company will receive 100% of the project's Annual Permitted Revenue (RAP), amounting to R$343.1 million (for the 2025/2026 electricity tariff cycle). This project is one of the largest greenfield projects under construction in Brazil's transmission sector.
The portion in Espírito Santo consists of two transmission lines totaling 85 kilometers in length, including a 500 kV line from João Neiva 2 to Viana 2 (77 km) and a 345 kV line from Viana 2 to Viana (7 km). This block also involves the expansion of substations at João Neiva 2 (500 kV), Viana (345 kV), and Viana 2 (345 kV/500 kV), with each substation adding new line entrance bays. Previous blocks of the project have constructed six 500 kV transmission lines in Minas Gerais, totaling 860 km in length, with 1,728 towers erected, two new substations built (Janaúba 6 and Capelinha 3), and three existing substations expanded (Jaíba, Janaúba 3, and Governador Valadares 6).
The construction of Block 3 faced challenges such as complex terrain and heavy rainfall, and the project adopted an unprecedented solution in the Brazilian power sector: the cup-type tower (torre do tipo cálice). This is a self-supporting structure, more robust and resilient, requiring no lateral guy wires (i.e., cables) for stabilization, specifically designed for the needs of the Piraquê project. Approximately 36 cup-type towers were used on the João Neiva 2 – Viana 2 transmission line, with an average weight of 25 tons and a span of 34 meters, accounting for 22% of the structures on that section. Additionally, the project used lasers and drones for vegetation trimming for the first time. Dayron Urrego, the company's Executive Director of Projects, stated that completing Block 3 in Espírito Santo required detailed planning, complex logistics, and unprecedented solutions, emphasizing the company's high priority on employee safety given the region's geographic and climatic challenges. The cup-type tower, developed specifically to meet required capacity and protect the environment, exemplifies a high level of engineering application. During the construction of Block 3, 1,745 direct and indirect jobs were created, directly benefiting 10 municipalities in Espírito Santo and enhancing the stability, reliability, and capacity of the state's power system.
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