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.