Phase II of Brazil's Belo Monte UHV DC Transmission Project transmits 7.2 bln kWh of power in total, benefiting about 20 mln people

Known as the "Pearl of South America", Brazil has a vast territory, and hydroelectricity provides almost 80% of primary energy generation. Its water resources are concentrated in the west and north, but its load centers are in the southeast. Faced with the increasing demand for electricity, all walks of life in Brazil have long paid attention to how to safely and efficiently deliver the abundant hydropower from the west and the north to the southeast.

Phase II of Brazil's Belo Monte UHV DC Power Transmission Project (Belo Monte Phase II Project) has been officially put into operation for nearly half a year, transmitting a cumulative power of 7.2 billion kWh. It has become a good example of economic and trade cooperation between China and Brazil. The implementation of the project is also a successful practice of State Grid’s endeavor to go global as a Chinese enterprise.

The third bid section of the project crosses the Araguaia River in Brazil. (Photo/State Grid Corporation of China)

Efforts will be rewarded.

In 2011, Brazil started the construction of the Belo Monte hydropower station in the Xingu River Basin in the Amazon region. The hydropower station can meet the annual demand of 60 million people for electricity, but the power consumption center is far located in the industrialized metropolises more than 2,500 kilometers away. How to send electricity has become a problem.

Today, iron towers have been erected and power lines have connected the north and the south. It is this "electricity highway" that spans five states and 81 cities in Brazil from the Amazon region in the north to Rio de Janeiro in the south that benefits about 20 million people.

Belo Monte Phase II Project is the first overseas UHV project that State Grid independently won the bid. In July 2015, it defeated the other two foreign companies and won the bid for the 30-year concession right to the project. China and Brazil are similar in the demand and distribution of energy resources. Most hydropower stations in Brazil are far from load centers, and long-distance transmission is essential. Also, 15 percent of Brazil's electricity would be lost during transmission. The UHV technology (the transmission technology with a voltage class of AC 1,000kV and above and DC ±800kV and above) features large transmission capacity, long distance, low cost and low loss. It suits Brazil technologically and economically. State Grid regards the development of UHV as a strategic focus, and won independent intellectual property rights from continuous practice, and is thus endowed with unique advantages.

However, the work that followed was not easy.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the first test for builders. "The project didn't start until September 2017. During the two years in between, we were taking environmental protection measures," said Zhang Zhe, director assistant of the Business Development Department of State Grid International Development Co., Ltd. Brazil has the most environmental protection regulations among other countries in the world. The project cannot start without permission from the environmental protection authority.

According to the law, the felled vegetation must be replanted in other places. The team planted 16,500 mu (about 6,678 hectares) of trees outside the construction site. To reduce deforestation, the team used taller towers to ensure that the transmission lines go above the canopy.

Pre-construction monitoring procedures for flora and fauna are essential. The team once found that the eggs in a bird's nest had not been hatched in the 9th bid section. To protect the birds, the project was put on hold until the young birds grew up and flew away. During the EIA, the team investigated 936 species of animals and rescued 60 species of endangered plants.

Rainforest, grasslands, mountains . . . The construction team faced complex and harsh environment. The rainy season in the Amazon rainforest lasts for half a year, and it is not easy to erect an iron tower on the muddy road. The work had to be done manually when the machines could not be delivered. Many places along the way occupied by primeval forests and indigenous settlements are undeveloped. Threats such as venomous snakes, insects and ants, malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever were around.

Besides challenges from the natural environment, there were urgent technical problems to be solved. There were 11 rivers to be crossed for the construction of the power grid, and the greatest difficulty lied in the Tocantins River in the 5th bid section. The river is 1,102 meters wide, with swamps on the south bank and a foundation tending to subside. After repeated discussions, the team finally decided to use high-rise cap foundation supported by concrete piles with metal casing for reinforcement.

Various tests did not hinder the builders. Efforts will be rewarded. Thanks to the efforts of all parties, the project was put into operation 100 days ahead of schedule, becoming a miracle in the history of power project construction in Brazil, and the first large-scale project in Brazil with zero environmental penalty notices in recent years.

Residents of the Quillon Paula community in Brazil celebrated the completion of the juice factory with the assistance of Chinese enterprises. (Photo/State Grid Corporation of China)

China on the other side of the world comes to us.

Belo Monte Phase II Project has not only solved the problem of hydropower delivery in Brazil, but also driven forward the development of the local industrial chain and provided about 16,000 jobs. Chinese enterprises have built bridges of friendship, sowed the seeds of hope, and won respect from the people.

State Grid Brazil Holding S.A. established a franchise company after winning the bid. Many of its executives were recruited locally, including the deputy CEO Paul Esmeraldo. "For many Brazilian engineers, being able to participate in this project is a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity. I remember a Brazilian engineer shedding tears because an experimental plan jointly designed by Brazil and China proved successful by commissioning." For Paul, the Chinese and Brazilian employees have constituted an invincible team.

In fact, employees from Brazil did not know much about China's technology and equipment at first, and the cooperation between the two sides did not go well. The Chinese side invited them to China for training, inspection, and experiencing the Chinese culture, which brought them closer. Working together for a long time made them as close as brothers. Carnival is the most important festival in Brazil. However, Danilo, line manager at the project company, gave up his vacation and stayed at the site of the 10th bid section for a week. "My Chinese brothers flew more than 20,000 kilometers to Brazil to help us build the power grid. They are far away from their families and work hard every day. I cannot let them down," he said.

The slave refugee community in Guimarania is on the route of the project. This community set up by escaping slaves was trapped in chronic poverty. The team learned about the situation, then renovated the venue and built a drinking water well for the community. It also assisted in the construction of a juice processing plant according to local conditions, and followed up on the registration of products with the agriculture and livestock authorities, so as to help the community sell products nationwide.

The team donated medical equipment and devices to 33 malaria-affected cities along the route, helped local communities build dairy factories and chicken farms, and funded the protection of the world cultural heritage, Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site.

There are many such stories beyond the project.

Da Silva is a violinist of the Maré do Amanhã Orchestra. The orchestra played famous songs from China at the concert commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil, and was cordially received by leaders of the two countries. In the past, no police station had been set up in the favela where he lived because of the highest degree of danger.

"I had no money and no education like all the kids in the slums, and I had no idea what a purpose in life is. My life was never the same when Mr. Carlos invited me to join the orchestra." Carlos he mentioned is the founder of the orchestra. Carlos' father, a musician who brought music to the slum, was killed by a slum dweller. Carlos, however, has been greatly impressed by his father's idea that "music will create miracles". He gave up his job as a journalist, set up the orchestra, and decided to change the fate of more children with music.

The operation of the orchestra requires funds. "When the orchestra saw its gravest crisis, China from the other side of the world came to us." State Grid Brazil Holding S.A. provided long-term funds for the orchestra to help children in slums secure a bright future. Now, more than 6,000 children have benefited from it.

To Cai Hongxian, Chairman of State Grid Brazil Holding S.A., the company should explore and adhere to ways of strengthening cross-cultural integration and fulfilling social responsibilities, so as to benefit the local people while maintaining the company's operational efficiency. Because of that, State Grid Brazil Holding S.A. has twice been awarded best enterprise in power industry of Brazil and won the Award for Best Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility Management from the United Nations Global Compact.

Chinese and Brazilian employees communicate at the construction site of the 9th bid section of the project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

No glory is achieved overnight.

After the completion of the project, Hu Yuhai, chairman of State Grid International Development Co., Ltd., said that it has marked that State Grid had went global in an all-round manner, namely investment, construction and operation, and it has been a landmark project in building the Belt and Road in recent years.

It is the first UHV project independently funded, constructed and operated overseas by China, and also an ±800 kV UHV project with the longest transmission distance in the world. The application of UHV technology in overseas project, especially in Brazil, was unimaginable in the past.

In the 1980s, Brazil was among the most advanced countries in the world regarding hydropower and power transmission technology. The ±600kV transmission project of Itaipu Hydropower Station once reached an insurmountable level regarding DC power transmission technology and was admired by power engineers from all over the world. Therefore, the Brazilian electric power industry had doubted about the application of Chinese technology in Brazil in the beginning.

The success of the project changed people's minds. Paul Esmeraldo said: "China has taken the lead in the world in the field of UHV DC power transmission. China was just a beginner in the field when I first dealt with Chinese people more than 40 years ago, which was mind-boggling."

China has delivered its technology abroad and turned from a creator to a leader in this regard. There is much hard work behind the fruitful results. "No glory is achieved overnight. To make the Belo Monte Phase II project a success, Chinese enterprise has been spending years building trust and brand, exploring the market and learning the market rules in Brazil," said Wang Yuanhang, director of the Overseas Operations Department of State Grid International Development Co., Ltd., adding that the efforts over the past few years are paid off.

Standards are the common language of international cooperation. “To promote Chinese standards in Brazil is a process of mutual adaptation and mutual running-in,” said Cai Hongxian. He noted that Brazil can now see the strength, practice and sincerity of State Grid Corporation of China through the tangible results. The company will put forward technical standards for Siemens and ABB in the subsequent projects that it has won the bid, and require them to follow the standards of State Grid Corporation of China.

At present, State Grid has registered 53 international standards with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and 25 international standards with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), of which 40 have been officially released.

The going global of technologies and standards has brought exports of 5 billion RMB high-end electrical equipment made in China to Brazil such as converter transformers, converter valves, and DC control and protection devices as well as construction services, marking a milestone for China's power technology and equipment to "go global".

"In recent years, we have successfully invested in and operated backbone energy networks in eight countries and regions such as the Philippines, Portugal, Australia, Italy, and Oman, and undertaken key projects like the the GDHA 500 kV power transmission and transformation project in Ethiopia, the EETC 500 kV upgrade and transformation project in Egypt, the Matiari-Lahore ±660 kV DC power transmission project in Pakistan." State Grid spokesperson Wang Yanfang told reporters, adding that the equipment, largely the primary and secondary equipment for power system, has been exported to more than 100 countries around the world.

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward, an increasing number of Chinese enterprises have gone abroad, and conducted extensive consultation and joint contribution and shared benefits with countries and regions along the Belt and Road for mutual benefits and win-win results. They have also contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the world. The successful practices of State Grid overseas is a microcosm of many Chinese enterprises' efforts in "going global".