SAO PAULO, Sept 10 (Reuters) -

Brazil connected the northernmost state of Roraima to its

national electric grid, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said

on Wednesday, as he called for greater energy integration in

South America.

The connection of Roraima, which had been the last

unconnected state in Brazil, will save around 600 million reais

($111 million) per year in fuel costs for local thermal plants

while reducing carbon emissions, as most of the energy produced

in Brazil comes from renewable sources, the government said in a

statement.

"Brazil's interconnected energy system is a model for the

world," Lula said at an event, adding that if other South

American countries connected their systems to Brazil's, "no

country in the region will ever again be left without energy."

While the system is still being tested, when it is

completely implemented Roraima should gain more energy security,

as it previously also relied on power from neighboring

Venezuela.

Roraima's connection to the rest of Brazil has been a long

time coming. The project for the transmission line began over 14

years ago and its construction suffered delays due to

environmental concerns, as it crosses Indigenous lands.

"We're going to make this energy reach the Indigenous

people, we're going to make the internet reach the Indigenous

people because we don't want anyone left out of this," Lula

said.

($1 = 5.4020 reais)