Cotesa Engenharia replaces 1.4 thousand insulator chains in Furnas assets

By 2025, COTESA Engenharia will replace 1421 chains of glass insulators, between suspension and anchoring, on assets belonging to Eletrobrás Furnas. There will be 12 Transmission Lines from 138kV to 345kV, between the regions of Petrópolis (RJ) and Viana (ES).

Before starting the replacements, COTESA went through the validation stage of the instructions and procedures for Live Line work, both in theory and in practice. It took two weeks of validation at the Furnas training center in the city of Fronteira-MG, becoming the first company hired and qualified to perform Live Line work on Furnas assets.

The replacement of the insulator chains began on April 18 and is scheduled to be completed within 36 months, with both potential and remote methods being used for the replacements.

In the remote method, the electricians perform the maneuvers without direct contact with the energized parts, using insulating sticks and working outside the potential of the conductor cables.

In the method at potential, the electrician has direct contact with the potential of the conductor being maintained. As he is at the same potential as the conductor, he must wear conductive clothing and the access is made through insulating materials, such as an overhead basket, ladder or scaffolding, in order to remain isolated from the ground potential.

In total, COTESA's team to carry out this work is composed of nine electricians, a supervisor, and a technician in Work Safety.