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Eco-efficiency

In order to contribute to reducing the environmental impacts of their operations, Eletrobras Companies seek to continuously improve the environmental performance of their indicators and to expand eco-efficiency initiatives.

Check our results of water and electricity consumption and waste generation, monitored by our System of Indicators for Corporate Sustainability Management (IGS System):

Access the Annual Report to learn more about the environmental management at Eletrobras Companies.


Data of the Holding – administrative activities*

Features2019202020212022
Total water withdrawal from the supply network of the sanitation concessionaire (m3)27,81220,7686,5997,583
Electricity purchased from a concessionaire in the National Interconnected System (MWh)5,8364,2854,1454,106
Waste generated for composting (kg) 7,4002,79006,080
Waste sent for recycling – Solidary Selective Waste Collection (Federal Decree nr.  5,940/2006) (kg)25,7703,54082,5603,960

* Includes the offices in Rio de Janeiro.


Consolidated data of Eletrobras Companies (G&T)

Water

The water used to generate power in Eletrobras hydroplants is all returned to the water bodies, and the quality is equivalent to the captured water. Our thermal plants capture water from surface sources for refrigeration and steam generation, and then returned to the original water body within legal temperature and quality requirements, minimizing the impact on ecosystems and habitats. In the specific case of nuclear plants, seawater is used to cool the secondary system and fully returned to the sea, with only a slight increase in temperature. The quality of the water used in Eletrobras Companies operations is monitored and reported. The results of this analysis are issued according to the permits and demands of the environmental bodies.

In addition to water used to generate energy, Eletrobras also uses water in its administrative activities. For these activities, water for consumption is largely supplied by local water and sewage utilities. Where it is not supplied by the local utility it is captured from surface or groundwater sources.

Data on water intake for administration and operations,excluding the water that flows through our turbines, is added to the IGS System. Values are taken from the utility water bills or from reading hydrometers.

In 2021, a new methodology was implemented to calculate water consumption and disposal. Where there are no hydrometers to measure water used by administration, since 2021 the volume has been estimated using the average number of full-time employees at the facility and 50 liters/day per employee. The amount of water consumed by Eletrobras companies includes water used for thermal power generation and 20% of the water used in administrative activities. The amount of water discharged by Eletrobras companies included the water flowing through the hydro plant turbines, the water returned to rivers and oceans by the thermal power plants, the amount of water used in the fish farming stations and protected areas, and about 80% of the water used in administrative activities.

In 2022 the total volume of water withdrawall was 679,580,287.42 m3, including the surface water withdrawals for use in protected areas and in aquaculture. The total water discharge was 679,568,149.13 m3. The total water consumed was 11,768.58 m3.

The water used to generate energy in hydroelectric plants is not consumed, since it is fully returned to the rivers from which it is withdrawn. In 2022, 679,514,292.87 m3 of fresh water passed througth the turbines, which represented 99.99% of our water withdrawal.

The total volume of water discharged by our subsidiaries' operations into rivers experiencing critical or very critical water stress was approximately 3,001,899.74 m³ in 2022, as measured using the methodology established by the ANA.

 

Water withdrawal – administrative activities

Water withdrawal per source

(in thousands of m3)

2022
Surface581.45
Groundwater296.30
Utility water275.15
Water withdrawals from multiple sources, in which case consumption is estimated (unmetered)62.14
Total1,215.04


Water withdrawal – thermal generation

Water withdrawal per source

(in thousands of m3)

2022
Surface61,686.25
Groundwater263.95
  
Total61,950,196.28


Energy Consumption 

Energy Consumption (MWh)2021 ​ ​
2022 ​ ​
Scope 1Scope 2Scope 3Scope 1Scope 2Scope 3
Renewable fuel consumption 9,447-1,50910,544-1,223
Fossil fuel consumption24,176,908-6,832,32015,678,916-6,752,813
Renewable Electricity consumption – Purchased from the grid-179,136--176,283-
Non-Renewable Electricity consumption – Purchased from the grid-34,121--24,821-
Renewable Electricity consumption – Self-generated-2,868,713--1,841,573-
Non-Renewable Electricity consumption – Self-generated-382,223--294,489-
Total34,484,379 ​ ​
24,780,661 ​ ​

* Figures for 2021 have been restated to exclude data for Eletronuclear, Itaipu Binacional and Cepel.

Waste 

Waste (metric tonnes)*2019202020212022
Total waste recycled/ reused4,345.705,492.833,427.055,309.61
Total waste disposed10,968.7217,366.883,531.452,192.07
- Waste landfilled10,968.7217,353.843,515.822,177.93
- Waste incinerated without energy recovery013.0415.6314.14

* Ashes from our thermoelectric plants are not included in these figures.

Note: The waste figures are not assured by third-party.


Hazardous Waste

(metric tonnes)*

2019202020212022
Total hazardous waste recycled/ reused1.392.178.741,219.05
Total hazardous waste disposed4,032.231,290.112,138.431,038.49

- hazardous waste

landfilled

983.37 171.95269.20193.04

- hazardous waste incinerated

with energy recovery

263.85295.94217.39206.72

- hazardous waste incinerated

without energy recovery

2,785.01822.221,651.84638.73


* Ashes from our thermoelectric plants are not included in these figures. In 2018, the total amount of waste disposed included waste stored in appropriate locations, before final disposal, and did not include waste destined for reverse logistics. Until 2018, the figures did not include waste destined for reverse logistics, starting to include it from 2019. As of 2019, the figures include waste destined for reverse logistics.

Note: The waste figures are not assured by third-party.

 

Solid waste and effluents are treated by our companies in accordance with current legislation.

In the process of continuous improvement of waste management and the IGS System, in 2022 we carried out a work to update the existing indicators protocols and created new indicators in order to provide more detailed data from 2023 on regarding the distinction between hazardous and non-hazardous waste. This work will provide data reporting from 2024 onwards that is more in line with the reality of the companies and will assist waste management as a whole.

In addition, possibilities for monitoring specific materials were discussed, that culminated in the creation of the indicator for mineral oil waste destined for re-refining, which data has already started to be collected in 2022.


Ashes

All the ashes produced by operation of the coal-fired thermoelectric power plant by Eletrobras CGTEletrosul, located in Candiota (RS), are forwarded to the recomposition of mine cave and to the cement industry. In 2022, 1,295,281t of ashes were sent for recycling and reuse. In 2021, the amount was 1,710,699.67t, in 2020, 763,655.38t, and in 2019, 1,128,735.3t. In 2020, the thermoelectric plant did not operate for almost five months, the reason for the lower volume of ashes, when compared to other years. In 2022, there was a scheduled maintenance shutdown, lasting approximately 45 days, in January and February. Another shutdown of the generation unit occurred in December. Therefore, energy generation was reduced in 2022 and, consequently, the amount of ashes.

 

Mercury Emissions

Eletrobras CGTEletrosul carries out annual measurements to verify the concentration of mercury in atmospheric emissions related to the operation of its coal-fired thermoelectric power plant. In 2022, two samples were taken, one per semester, a procedure similar to that carried out in previous years.

In 2022, 0.033299354 t of mercury were emitted, a value calculated from measurements taken directly from the plant chimney by isokinetic sampling.

Eletrobras CGTEletrosul carries out annual measurements to verify the concentration of mercury in atmospheric emissions related to the operation of its coal-fired thermoelectric power plant. In 2021, the direct mercury emissions were 0.034 t.



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