Neoenergia is pushing ahead with new plans to expand and modernise the electricity grid in Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte by 2030

Neoenergia has announced new investment cycles to strengthen the electricity infrastructure in the Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte over the coming years. The plans will enable the grid’s capacity to be expanded, accelerate its digitalisation and support the economic growth of both regions.

Neoenergia presented these plans during business meetings held in Recife and Natal last week, organised in collaboration with LIDE Pernambuco and LIDE-RN. The events were attended by Pedro Azagra, CEO of Iberdrola; Eduardo Capelastegui, CEO of Neoenergia; Saulo Cabral, Chairman and CEO of Neoenergia Pernambuco; and Fabíola Almeida, Chairman and CEO of Neoenergia Cosern, who outlined the main initiatives planned to strengthen the electricity grid and support the economic development of both states until 2030.

In Pernambuco, Neoenergia will invest 9,700 million reais (around 1,560 million euros) by 2030, a figure that is more than double that allocated in the previous cycle. The plan includes the construction of 25 new substations, the expansion of a further 34, the addition of 766 MVA of extra capacity, and the roll-out of more than 9,000 kilometres of medium- and high-voltage lines, as well as 141 new feeder lines.

The initiatives will extend to all regions of the state and include projects aimed at boosting economic activity, tourism, industry and agribusiness. Among the most notable initiatives are the undergrounding of the electricity network in iconic areas of Old Recife, such as Marco Zero, Cais da Alfândega and Praça do Arsenal; the modernisation of the Boa Viagem network with new underground lines; and the upgrading of the infrastructure serving the main hubs of the Pernambuco Carnival. The plan also includes new substations in strategic areas of the state, investments in smart grids, and energy storage and solar generation projects in Fernando de Noronha.

For its part, Neoenergia Cosern will allocate 4,100 million reais (around 660 million euros) to strengthen the electricity grid in Rio Grande do Norte, representing an 81 per cent increase compared with the 2021–2025 period. The programme envisages the construction of 10 new substations, the expansion of a further 16, the addition of 460 MVA of extra capacity — equivalent to a 25 per cent increase in the system’s current capacity — and around 1,800 kilometres of new power lines.

Key initiatives include a new transmission line for the northern part of Natal, new underground networks in Mossoró, Pipa and Ponta Negra, and projects spread across the state’s various regions to support growth in sectors such as tourism, agribusiness, mining, oil and gas. The plan also includes investments in the digitalisation, automation and modernisation of the grid, as well as energy efficiency initiatives and solar generation projects for vulnerable institutions and communities.

With these new investment cycles, Neoenergia continues to make progress in modernising its distribution networks to meet growing energy demand and contribute to the economic and social development of Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte over the next decade.