Water Use
Neoenergia is committed to using this resource in an increasingly responsible manner.
Water is a basic and irreplaceable natural resource for many of the activities carried out by Neoenergia. Aware of this dependence and the risks associated with water scarcity, the company is committed to using this resource more and more responsibly. Its main initiatives include:
Continuously improving facility processes to reduce consumption and impact;
Implementing and monitoring the legally required ecological flows for the reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants;
Conducting awareness campaigns among employees to promote more efficient and responsible water use in offices.
Collection, Disposal, and Consumption
To prevent waste and reduce water consumption, the company takes actions such as:
Purchasing fixtures and plumbing with flow restrictors for its administrative buildings;
Installing rainwater reuse systems at facilities located primarily in areas experiencing water stress. The implementation of these systems is intended to facilitate the use of alternative water sources and the sustainable use of water.
The company has established an ESG target for the preservation of this resource: installed capacity for reused water, with targets set for 2025 (7.5 million liters (ML)/year) and 2030 (10 ML/year), taking into account the administrative units of the distribution companies.
The Water Cycle in Thermal Power Generation
The water cycle required for thermal power generation consists of the following stages:
Water Intake: In the case of freshwater used for the plant’s production process and for auxiliary/administrative services, water is drawn within the limits established in a contract with the Pernambuco state water utility, both in terms of quantity and water quality.
Seawater is abstracted for the cooling (condensation) of steam from the boilers after it passes through the steam turbine, as well as for cooling the heat-exchange effluent from the plant’s equipment.
Use: Used for steam condensation and cooling of plant auxiliary equipment.
Discharge into the environment: The quality of the liquid effluent discharge is monitored and has consistently remained within the limits required by current laws, with efforts made to improve it, including with regard to the water quality parameters measured.
Total water consumption across all Neoenergia companies—defined as the difference between the total water abstracted from various sources (fresh and saltwater), whether for power generation or human consumption, and the water returned to the environment, is shown in the table below, which breaks down our total water withdrawal by source.
