Commitment to Brazil and the environment

Santo Antônio Energia is committed to the  sustainable development of Rondônia and Brazil. For this reason, it is adopting strategies to reduce the environmental impacts and promote the economic growth and social development of the Porto Velho region.

As the Santo Antônio hydroelectric project is located in the Amazon basin, one of the world´s richest and most complex biomes, the entire undertaking was considered in terms of creating and combining the best operating performance with the lowest environment and social impact. Santo Antônio Energia is making investments so that this undertaking, the largest assured hydroelectric plant under construction in Brazil, will be a model project for sustainable development.
As well as adopting new technologies which will reduce environmental liabilities, the construction and operation of the Santo Antônio HEP is based on six years of detailed studies which evaluated the social, commercial and environmental aspects. As a result of these studies, Santo Antônio Energia laid down strategies and rigorous environmental programs to reduce the impacts and promote citizenship.

Santo Antônio Energia was founded on principles of social responsibility and understands the dimension that a project of this size represents for Porto Velho and its population. Therefore, the entire project is being accompanied by initiatives and programs directed at the social and economic improvement of the community to bring new prospects to people´s lives.

The company is also meeting its commitment to create a close relationship with the people affected by the work and other public groups. All the negotiations on resettling families are based on respect and transparency and preceded by broad communication and dialogue. At the same time, Santo Antônio Energia is investing in training the local workforce since it recognizes that a construction of this size represents a great potential economic development for the local population.

Principles

The entire Santo Antônio HEP project is based on six years of studies carried out by Eletrobras Furnas and Odebrecht which analyzed the social, economic and environmental aspects of the region. This work was the base for the definition of the following principles which guide the construction and operations of the plant:

- Restricting the environmental impact to the minimum possible;
- Promoting economic growth and social transformation;
- Respecting local values;
- Transparency in relations with all public groups

Sustainable Development is the pursuit of growth without destruction in a way which balances out economic, social and environmental aspects and does not endanger the access of future generations to natural resources. It is carried out in harmony with society and the environment to guarantee the future of our planet and humanity. It is growth in which everyone wins.