Porto Velho-Araraquara 2 Transmission Line

Description: The Porto Velho-Araraquara 2 project involves building a 2,300km transmission line to connect the Amazon basin with the state of São Paulo, to form the Madeira river transmission system. The project is part of the federal government's growth acceleration plan (PAC) and is expected to be one of the biggest transmission lines in the world because it will pass through five states and 80 municipalities. It will have 5,000 high-tension towers and will require 45Mt of steel and 70Mt of aluminum. It is estimated that during the construction phase 5,000 workers will be needed. The project would also generate an estimated 15,000 indirect jobs. The project is being developed by Norte Brasil Transmissora de Energía, a special purpose consortium formed by Abengoa, Eletrosul Centrais Elétricas and Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil. This transmission line is part of a larger effort to harness the hydroelectric potential of the Madeira river and use it to generate power to help meet regional demand. This integration initiative involves the interconnection of three projects totaling 12,500MW – Cachuela Esperanza (Bolivia) and Jiraú and San Antônio (Brazil) – and will also facilitate navigation on the upper reaches of rivers Guapore and Madre de Dios, connecting Bolivia and Peru, via Manaus port, to the Atlantic.