Why You Will Never See Wires on Posts in Denmark — Yet They Are Everywhere in Brazil?

Written by Débora Araújo

Published on 12/06/2025 at 18:40

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While Denmark Buries Nearly All Power Cables for Safety and Aesthetics, Brazil Keeps Aerial Networks for Cost and Lack of Planning. Understand the Reasons.

A country’s urban infrastructure is not defined solely by what is visible. In places like Denmark, the decision to bury power cables has become a consolidated public policy. In Brazil, however, overhead wiring remains the most common model, even in large urban centers. The difference between the two systems is not just visual — it involves safety, reliability, planning, and cost.

The choice for buried wires transforms the urban environment, reduces risks of interruptions due to weather phenomena, and preserves the landscape. However, this choice requires significant investment, complex excavations, and long-term planning.

Buried Cables Have Been National Policy in Denmark Since 2008

In Denmark, the directive to bury high-voltage power cables was formalized in 2008. The country established that all new 400 kV lines should be installed underground. The measure was adopted to preserve natural landscapes, increase the reliability of the system, and reduce the risks of failures during storms or accidents.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Brazil Keeps Aerial Wires for Cost and Operational Difficulties

Unlike Denmark, Brazil still predominantly adopts the overhead wiring system, visible in poles that cut through entire cities. The main reason is the high cost of underground installation. Experts estimate that burying power cables can cost up to 10 times more than maintaining overhead networks.

The process requires deep excavations, changes in urban traffic, removal of sidewalks, and relocation of other underground infrastructure, such as water, sewage, and telecommunications. In densely populated cities, these interventions cause disruptions that make the underground model less viable in the short term.

The lack of a comprehensive national policy is also a factor. In Brazil, the implementation of buried cables occurs in an isolated manner, usually in central areas of capitals or in neighborhoods with a high standard of urbanization. There are isolated experiences in São Paulo, Brasília, Curitiba, and Belo Horizonte, but with no large-scale expansion.

Safety and Maintenance Also Differentiate the Models

Underground networks offer more safety against falling trees, flooding, and short-circuits caused by storms. The power supply is more stable, and the need for emergency maintenance is lower.

However, when failures occur, maintaining buried cables is more complex. It requires technical surveys, access to the underground, and more repair time since defects are not visible. In overhead systems, technicians can quickly identify failures and make repairs with mobile equipment, which reduces response time in emergencies.

Urban Aesthetics: The Wire That Cuts Across the Landscape

Visually, the differences between the models are evident. Cities with overhead wires face visual pollution, with poles overloaded by networks of electricity, telecommunications, and public lighting. The presence of these cables also interferes with greening projects, reducing tree heights and affecting shade on sidewalks.

In Denmark, on the contrary, the absence of wires contributes to the appreciation of urban and tourist areas. Clean streets, without visual interference, make the environment more pleasant and organized. This factor, although less measurable economically, weighs on the quality of life and the population’s perception of urban space.

Cost-Benefit in the Long Term Is Still Debated in Brazil

Although the initial cost of burying wires is high, studies show that the durability of buried cables compensates for this investment over time. On average, these cables last more than 40 years and require fewer interventions.

On the other hand, adapting the Danish model to Brazil faces challenges due to the lack of integrated urban planning, difficulties in coordination between public and private entities, and the urgency to resolve immediate problems in basic infrastructure.

Comparison Between the Two Countries

Criterion	Denmark	Brazil
Predominant Network Type	Buried Cables	Aerial Wires
National Public Policy	Yes, since 2008	Does not exist
Initial Cost	High, but planned	Low, preferred in urban areas
Urban Aesthetics	No visual pollution	Visual pollution present
Maintenance	Rare, but complex	Frequent, but quick
Safety and Reliability	Very High	Variable, affected by weather

Denmark’s decision to bury its power cables reflects a model of planned urbanism, focused on safety, aesthetics, and long-term efficiency. Brazil, on the other hand, opts to keep the wires visible due to cost, operational complexity, and the lack of national policies for underground infrastructure.

Why You Will Never See Wires on Posts in Denmark — Yet They Are Everywhere in Brazil?

While Denmark Buries Nearly All Power Cables for Safety and Aesthetics, Brazil Keeps Aerial Networks for Cost and Lack of Planning. Understand the Reasons.

Buried Cables Have Been National Policy in Denmark Since 2008

Brazil Keeps Aerial Wires for Cost and Operational Difficulties

Safety and Maintenance Also Differentiate the Models

Urban Aesthetics: The Wire That Cuts Across the Landscape

Cost-Benefit in the Long Term Is Still Debated in Brazil

Comparison Between the Two Countries

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Why You Will Never See Wires on Posts in Denmark — Yet They Are Everywhere in Brazil?

While Denmark Buries Nearly All Power Cables for Safety and Aesthetics, Brazil Keeps Aerial Networks for Cost and Lack of Planning. Understand the Reasons.

Buried Cables Have Been National Policy in Denmark Since 2008

Brazil Keeps Aerial Wires for Cost and Operational Difficulties

Safety and Maintenance Also Differentiate the Models

Urban Aesthetics: The Wire That Cuts Across the Landscape

Cost-Benefit in the Long Term Is Still Debated in Brazil

Comparison Between the Two Countries

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Ethiopia has banned gasoline and diesel cars, placed over a hundred silent electric buses on the streets of Addis Ababa, and now aims for half a million electric vehicles by 2030, all powered by Africa’s largest dam and a courage that few countries have shown.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

BRICS is preparing a payment system inspired by the Brazilian PIX that will allow direct transactions between countries using national digital currencies without relying on the dollar or Western banks as intermediaries.

Stored for over 100 years, the first underwater tunnel in Latin America receives a decisive boost with a loan of R$ 2.5 billion signed in April and promises to connect Santos and Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo, in just 5 minutes.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

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The UN’s Adaptation Fund approved nearly US$134 million in projects, but received over US$1.3 billion in proposals, exposing the size of the queue of vulnerable countries requesting climate aid without sufficient funds to meet their needs.

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