The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) approved a financing of BRL5.2 billion (US$1.35 billion) for Xingu Rio Transmissora de Energia SA (XRTE), a company belonging to the Chinese State Grid group, for the implementation of a transmission system that will to connect the Xingu (PA) Converting Station to the Rio Terminal Converting Station for the flow of energy generated by the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant (UHE) located in the state of Pará. 

This transmission line will be the second to transmit power produced by the Belo Monte plant to the Southeast. Also financed by BNDES, the first transmission line connects the Xingu Converting Station (PA) to the Estreito Convertor Station (MG) and has been in operation since December 2017. 

The BNDES loan for XRTE represents 61% of the total investment of the project, in the amount of BRL8.5 billion (US$2.2 billion). It is estimated that 8,000 direct jobs and 24,000 indirect jobs are created during the project implementation phase. The transmission line will cross 79 municipalities in the states of Pará, Tocantins, Goiás, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

The expected investments include the implementation of the 2,535 km long direct current 800 kV transmission line and the Xingu converter stations in Altamira / PA and Rio Terminal in Nova Iguaçu / RJ.

The BNDES will also finance social investments in the amount of BRL12 million (US$3.12 million) in the area of influence of the project, in addition to the socio-environmental investments of a mandatory nature foreseen in the Environmental Licensing.

Like the first transmission line, the second will use Ultra High Voltage (UAT) technology, previously unheard of in Brazil. This technology is more efficient for the transmission of large amounts of energy and at great distances, since it allows less losses.

In addition, the use of UAT technology is environmentally interesting since it requires smaller areas of passage and vegetation suppression compared to conventional transmission technologies.