Brazil’s TSN consortium to start building Piaui-Ceara line

Brazil's TSN consortium plans to start the construction of a 450 mm-real ($ 159 mm) transmission line linking the north-eastern Piaui state to neighbouring Ceara state. However, construction could be delayed since TSN still needs to obtain environmental licenses from federal environmental agency Ibama whose workers are striking.
Ibama is analysing the environmental impact studies for the project and still needs to grant permits, an Ibama spokesperson told.

The 500 kV line will link Piaui's state capital Teresina to Fortaleza 545 km away in neighbouring Ceara state. The project also includes the construction of three substations.
TSN is a consortium made up of Brazilian engineering company Alusa (51 %) and federal power company Chesf (49 %). It signed the 30-year concession for the line in February after winning an auction in 2003.

Regional development bank BNB has granted 300 mm-real financing for the project that must be concluded by the December 2006 deadline. However, Alusa's webpage says that the line is expected to start operations by December 2005.
The new line will run parallel to a 500 kV line and a 230 kV line between the two towns and aims to strengthen supply in the region by adding transmission capacity to carry the extra power that will be generated from doubled capacity at the 4,000 MW Tucurui dam.