Omexom to Deliver a 2.6-fold Increase in Capacity on the São José do Rio Preto–Catanduva Line in Brazil

In São Paulo state, the 138 kV São José do Rio Preto–Catanduva overhead transmission line required a significant capacity upgrade to meet these evolving needs.

Working in partnership with ISA Energia Brasil, Omexom in Brazil is carrying out the uprating* of the São José do Rio Preto–Catanduva transmission line. The project includes reconductoring the line and replacing conductors, shield wires, hardware, and insulator strings, while also modernizing the grounding system and upgrading line signage.

The capacity upgrade will significantly increase the transmission line’s capacity, from 79 MVA to 206 MVA, enabling the network to transport substantially more electricity across the region. The capacity upgrade equivalent to a 2.6 times increment exceeds the gains typically achieved through conventional transmission line uprating projects.

However, the capacity upgrade is far from straightforward. One of the project’s greatest challenges is that the work is being performed on a double-circuit transmission line while keeping one circuit in service and temporarily disconnecting the other for intervention. This requires careful outage planning, close coordination across teams, and rigorous activity management to ensure the continuity of power system operations throughout the project.

Read the Omexom Brazil article (in Portuguese) to learn more about the project’s scope, challenges, impact, and the technical details behind the reconductoring work and execution strategy.

Reconductoring and targeted infrastructure improvements offer utilities an effective way to unlock additional grid capacity, enhance asset performance, and support the energy transition without the need for extensive new transmission corridors, while also helping meet growing future energy demand.

Projects such as the São José do Rio Preto–Catanduva upgrade highlight the growing importance of transmission modernization in energy systems worldwide.

The project also demonstrates Omexom’s expertise in executing complex transmission line upgrades while maintaining partial system operation, ensuring minimal disruption and maximizing operational efficiency.

*Uprating: Increasing the capacity or performance of an existing asset without building an entirely new one.