Historic China-built UHVDC project a 'green artery' for Brazil

Marking a historic milestone in global energy infrastructure, the Belo Monte Ultra-High Voltage Direct Current Phase II project in Brazil has established a landmark paradigm for cross-regional clean energy transmission, sustainable infrastructure development, and international green power cooperation.

Independently invested, constructed, and operated by State Grid Corporation of China under a 30-year concession agreement, the initiative represents a major leap in high-end energy technology export.

Spanning 2,534 kilometers, the ±800 kV UHVDC transmission line currently stands as one of the longest of its kind in the world.

The megaproject serves as a vital "green artery", continuously transmitting massive volumes of clean hydroelectric power generated at the Belo Monte dam in the Amazon basin in northern Brazil directly to the country's heavily populated and economically vital southeastern load centers, including the metropolitan hub of Rio de Janeiro, State Grid said.

For decades, Latin America's largest economy has grappled with a severe structural challenge: a spatial mismatch between its natural resource distribution and its energy demand.

While the northern region boasts abundant water resources ideal for hydroelectric generation, the vast majority of industrial and residential electricity consumption is concentrated in the southeast, Ye Xiaoning, a senior engineer at the State Grid Energy Research Institute, said.

By bridging this immense geographical divide, the Belo Monte Phase II project has successfully resolved this long-standing developmental bottleneck. It ensures a highly stable and reliable power supply for Brazil's core economic regions while simultaneously facilitating a massive reduction in reliance on fossil fuels, he said.

Ye emphasized that the project's success highlights the maturity, safety, and global applicability of China's advanced electrical grid technologies.

"The Belo Monte UHVDC Phase II project in Brazil stands as a benchmark demonstration for the internationalization of China's complete set of UHV technologies," he said.

According to Ye, it was precisely on the back of Phase I's successful performance and execution that State Grid was able to secure 100 percent independent concession rights during the Phase II bidding process.

By relying on the 2,534-kilometer ultra-long ±800 kV direct current line, the project has thoroughly validated the immense economic and technical advantages of using UHVDC technology for long-distance, large-capacity power transmission, he said.

Building on the solid foundation and operational success of Phase I and Phase II, State Grid has recently taken another step in expanding South America's energy infrastructure.

In a landmark move that will fundamentally reshape Brazil's green energy infrastructure, State Grid Corp of China has broken ground on a new 1,468-kilometer ultra-high voltage power superhighway, marking the largest electricity transmission investment in the South American nation's history.

The massive 800-kilovolt direct current transmission line will serve as a vital energy artery, channeling bundled wind, solar, and hydropower from Brazil's resource-rich northeast directly to major central and eastern load centers.

Independently invested, constructed, and operated by State Grid's Brazilian subsidiary under a 30-year concession agreement, the megaproject leverages China's mature UHV technology.

Scheduled for full operation by 2029, the project — in addition to the nearly 1,500-km transmission line — features two newly built converter stations and related supporting facilities, boasting a rated transmission capacity of 5 million kilowatts.

Building on the technical foundation established by the earlier Belo Monte projects, this third project represents a major evolutionary leap in grid capability," Ye said.

"While the first two phases proved UHVDC could efficiently transport single-source hydropower across vast distances, this third transmission superhighway orchestrates a complex, multi-energy matrix—bundling variable wind and solar from the northeast with hydro," he said.

"It proves that China's mature grid solutions are essential enablers for emerging economies seeking to decarbonize while maintaining power stability."

The seamless progression from the record-setting Belo Monte project to this latest power superhighway demonstrates how China's cutting-edge grid capabilities continue to drive Latin America's long-term green transition and energy security, he added.

Shu Yinbiao, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that China's modern power grid technology can provide support for the interconnection of global infrastructure.

Continued technological progress is essential to support the large-scale deployment of clean energy solutions, he said.

China is now deploying UHV technology on a large scale and its effort to internationalize its own UHV standards could yield greater global market share for Chinese UHV technologies.

Chinese companies' displaying growing knowledge in high-end UHV technologies demonstrates the dramatic advancement in Chinese research and development capabilities, Ye said.

By establishing itself as a pioneer of original technologies in this sector, China is well-positioned to drive the internationalization of its own UHV technical standards, he said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn