en.Wedoany.com Reported - Neoenergia announced investments of BRL 9.7 billion (approximately EUR 1.56 billion) in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco and BRL 4.1 billion (approximately EUR 660 million) in Rio Grande do Norte over the coming years to expand and modernize the power grid. These investments aim to strengthen power infrastructure, expand grid capacity, accelerate digitalization, and support regional economic growth.

Neoenergia presented these plans at business meetings held last week in Recife and Natal, organized in partnership with LIDE Pernambuco and LIDE-RN. Iberdrola CEO Pedro Azagra, Neoenergia CEO Eduardo Capelastegui, Neoenergia Pernambuco Chairman and CEO Saulo Cabral, and Neoenergia Cosern Chairman and CEO Fabíola Almeida outlined the main initiatives to strengthen the grid and support the economic development of both states through 2030.

In Pernambuco, Neoenergia's investment through 2030 is more than double the allocation in the previous cycle. The plan includes building 25 new substations, expanding another 34, adding 766 MVA of additional capacity, and laying over 9,000 kilometers of medium- and high-voltage lines and 141 new feeders. These initiatives cover all regions of the state, including projects to boost economic activity, tourism, industry, and agribusiness. Specific projects include undergrounding the grid in the old Recife area (Marco Zero, Cais da Alfândega, Praça do Arsenal), modernizing the Boa Viagem grid with new underground lines, and upgrading infrastructure serving the main hub of the Pernambuco Carnival. The plan also includes building new substations in strategic areas of the state, investing in smart grids, and implementing energy storage and solar power projects on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago.

Neoenergia Cosern will allocate BRL 4.1 billion (approximately EUR 660 million) to strengthen the grid in Rio Grande do Norte, an 81% increase compared to the 2021-2025 period. The plan includes building 10 new substations, expanding another 16, adding 460 MVA of additional capacity (a 25% increase in the system's current capacity), and approximately 1,800 kilometers of new transmission lines. Key initiatives include building a new transmission line for northern Natal, new underground networks in Mossoró, Pipa, and Ponta Negra, and projects across the state to support sectors such as tourism, agribusiness, mining, oil, and gas. The plan also includes investments in grid digitalization, automation, and modernization, as well as energy efficiency initiatives and solar power projects for vulnerable institutions and communities.

Through these investments, Neoenergia continues to advance the modernization of its distribution networks to meet growing energy demand and contribute to the economic development of both states.