The Graça Aranha Silvânia Energy Transmission (GATE) project, run by State Grid Brazil Holding (SGBH), has achieved an important approval. This Tuesday (August 12th), it received the Preliminary Environmental License (LP) from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment (IBAMA) for the transmission line and associated facilities, which will cross 42 municipalities in the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Goiás, and Minas Gerais. This network will stretch 1,468 km between the city of Graça Aranha in Maranhão and Silvânia in Goiás and will serve to supply the rest of the country with so-called "green electricity" produced by clean, renewable sources (wind, solar, and hydroelectric plants).
The LP obtained confirms that the project complies with environmental requirements. To obtain it, those responsible for the GATE project submitted environmental assessments that supported the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Environmental Impact Report (RIMA), which were submitted to IBAMA in June 2024.
These documents were evaluated in 12 public hearings—five held on-site and seven rebroadcast between November and December 2024—with 1,132 participants in person and more than 320 online. In addition, the GATE team conducted technical field inspections with IBAMA in March and April 2025.
Commitment
"Our team has been working for almost two years to obtain all necessary permits from environmental agencies and thus begin construction on this major project in the Brazilian electricity sector, always prioritizing sustainable development and respect for the environment," commented Beatriz Dias, Environmental Specialist at SGBH.
The environmental licensing process occurs in stages. Now, to advance to the next stage, obtaining the Installation License, an engineering project is being developed in conjunction with the Basic Environmental Plan (PBA) and the Forest Inventory (IF). Furthermore, social communication and environmental education activities with landowners and surrounding communities must be maintained.
About the project:
GATE will expand the flow of clean energy generated in the Northeast to the Central-West, Southeast, and South regions of the country. The SGBH project includes an ultra-high voltage (800 kV) direct current transmission line with the capacity to serve approximately 12 million people. Completion is scheduled for 2029.
