Investment is reflected in constant improvements in the quality of
services and assists the economic development of the company's
concession areas.
Focused on continuity, safety and reliability of the electric power
system, Neoenergia invested R$ 3.3 billion in distribution networks in
2020. The funds were intended for the expansion and improvement of
networks, renewal of assets and actions to combat losses in its four
distribution companies - Coelba (BA), Celpe (PE), Cosern (RN) and
Elektro (SP and MS). Investments in networks and innovation are
reflected in the quality of the service provided to the consumer, with
better indicators than those established by the Brazilian Electricity
Regulatory Agency (Aneel).
The resources invested in the
expansion and modernization of the electric power system also have a
decisive impact on the economic development of the distribution
companies’ concession areas. The electrical infrastructure and the
availability of energy contribute to the attraction of new ventures in
the regions, in addition to the generation of jobs and income, with the
engagement of companies and local workforce.
“We maintained our
investment trajectory admist a year as challenging as 2020. We have
overcome the challenges and invested in the expansion and modernization
of distribution networks. We believe in the responsibility of the
electric sector in the recovery of the economy and we will continue to
invest”, said Neoenergia’s Distribution Director, Fúlvio Machado.
All
Neoenergia’s distribution companies are within the regulatory limits in
DEC (which measures the duration of interruptions in the power supply)
and FEC (indicator of the frequency in which they occur). It means that
the concessionaires exceed the parameters of the regulatory body.
At
Coelba, the duration index was 12.43, better than Aneel's limit, which
was 14.11. The frequency indicator was also below the maximum limit
established: the registered average was 5.54, while the agency forecast
7.87. The DEC forecast by the regulatory agency for Pernambuco was
13.40, and Celpe registered 12.62, a concessionaire that had an FEC of
5.37, lower than the 8.34 limit. Cosern had a DEC of 9.21, lower than
the figure established by Aneel, which was 11.92, and FEC of 3.87, while
the limit was 8.01. At Elektro, the DEC indicator was 7.57, below the
maximum value of 8.30, and the FEC was 4.50, also lower than the 6.39
limit.
The R$ 3.3 billion invested in distribution networks were allocated
to a number of actions, of which R$ 2.072 billion were allocated to the
expansion of assets - which includes the construction of new
substations, for example, an initiative to expand the energy supply and
supply security. The actions of asset renewal and network improvement
developed in 2020 add up to another R$ 894 million.
Coelba
invested altogether, in 2020, R$ 1.6 billion. At Celpe, Capex was R$ 722
million; at Cosern, R$ 359 million; and, at Elektro, R$ 635 million.
Among the substations energized at the end of last year, there appears
Polo II, which serves the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex, in the
metropolitan region of Salvador, Coelba's concession area, and directly
benefited the municopal industrial customers. Other highlights are
Várzea and Serra Talhada II substations, in Pernambuco, and Jandaira
substation, in Rio Grande do Norte. All of them have modern equipment
and the state-of-the-art echnology. In addition, in 2020, 14,478
kilometers of medium and low voltage lines and 324.2 kilometers of high
voltage lines were implemented.
Investments also include the
installation of network automation equipment. An example of which is
self healing equipment, which allows the recovery in case of failures,
usually caused by external factors, such as lightning and tree falls. In
2020, 2,253 remote-controlled equipment was installed, which allows
remote operation and contributes to the improvement of quality
indicators.