IBERDROLA and NEOENERGIA joint venture Força Eólica do Brasil launched Leilão 2010 social project in Brazil

Both companies are currently building ten new wind farms in this country, with a combined installed capacity of nearly 290 megawatts (MW)
The programme includes the development of educational projects to familiarise young people with the concept of wind energy, and applies the experience accumulated by IBERDROLA in Spain through its pioneering Energy Classrooms
Thanks to Leilão 2010, other actions will be carried out to support local communities in the areas where wind farms are being built, including the installation of systems to capture water, and a series of campaigns to promote health and training

25-6-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The joint venture formed by IBERDROLA and NEOENERGIA, called Força Eólica do Brasil, has launched the Leilão 2010 social project, which includes a wide-ranging programme of education, healthcare and training aimed at supporting local communities in the areas where wind farms are being built.

The most important initiative within the framework of Leilão 2010 is the opening of Energy Classrooms, an educational programme on renewable energies and the environment for young people that IBERDROLA has already been operating successfully in Spain for almost 15 years.

The first of these classrooms will be set up in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, near Rio do Fogo, the first wind farm installed by IBERDROLA in Brazil and Arizona 1 wind farm, currently under construction.

As in the case of the energy classrooms in Spain, activities in the centre will include an explanation of the different renewable technologies, and feature videos, explanatory models and the chance to conduct experiments and wind farm tours.

This project will be implemented in collaboration with COSERN, an electricity distribution company part of the NEOENERGIA Group, within the framework of the Energy Efficiency Programme it runs with the National Electric Power Agency (Aneel).

Other initiatives designed to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants in areas where the wind farms are located include the Sonrisa en el Campo (Smile in the Country), which will take place in the towns near the Calango complex (Bodó, Santana do Matos and Lagoa Nova) in the state of Rio Grande Do Norte. This dental health programme will be run in conjunction with the Brazilian Red Cross by means of a dental van which will tour these communities.

There is also a plan for the installation of systems for capturing and storing rainwater for human consumption in the area around the Caetité windfarm in inland Bahia. This initiative will supply water to over 3,300 homes that currently have no connection to the general water system, and no access to wells, rivers, reservoirs, lakes or any other type of storage resource.

Providing these communities with access to drinking water will lead to a reduction in the incidence of diseases associated with water pollution, contribute to the food security of the inhabitants, the optimisation of local resources, and the promotion of development. IBERDROLA and NEOENERGIA will work together on this project with the Brazilian Ministry for Social Development and the Fight against Hunger (MDS) as part of the Water for All programme.

Improving quality of life in rural areas

In addition, also in the Caetité windfarm, the consortium aims to improve the local healthcare system by building new medical facilities and maintaining the septic tanks in the area.

Finally, both companies are due to work together with the Brazilian Red Cross to set up a training and skills programme to enhance youth employability in a range of professions such as IT, crafts, dressmaking and other basic healthcare and first aid courses.

A large part of this aid is supported by the National Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES).

All these initiatives will take place within the framework of the wind farm project carried out by IBERDROLA and NEOENERGIA in Brazil, which includes the installation of ten wind farms with a combined installed capacity of 288 megawatts (MW). These facilities are Calango 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; Caetité 1, 2 and 3; and Arizona 1 and Mel 2, located in the states of Río Grande do Norte and Bahia, in the north-east of the country.

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