Iberdrola commits €4.5 bn to upgrade Bahia's electricity grid

Spanish energy group Iberdrola announced an investment of roughly 25 billion reais (about €4.5 billion) in the state of Bahia, Brazil, to expand and modernise its electricity distribution network. The plan, carried out through its local subsidiary Neoenergia Coelba, includes the construction of 54 new substations, the installation of more than 2,000 km of high‑voltage transmission lines and 42,000 km of medium‑voltage networks, and aims to digitalise the grid and connect new agro‑industrial projects.

The programme, presented by Iberdrola chief‑executive Ignacio Galán at the Bahia Farm Show, was attended by Brazil’s vice‑president, energy and agriculture ministers, the governor of Bahia and other officials. It represents 50 % of Neoenergia’s planned distribution‑grid spending for the next five years and follows a recent 30‑year renewal of the company’s distribution concessions. Iberdrola has been operating in Brazil since 1997, serving over 40 million customers across 18 states and the Federal District.