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• More clean energy: plant has an installed capacity of 350 megawatts (MW) and the production will be injected into the National Interconnected System 

• Sustainable project: the minimum hydroelectric flow, of 350 m³ per second, will regulate the water levels of the Iguaçu Falls 

• Environmental preservation: an area was created for the reforestation of native species, located 100 meters from the reservoir, and a biodiversity corridor with the Iguaçu National Park 

• Social Commitment: the project benefited 128 families in the region, through self-resettlement or rural resettlement 

The largest hydrological reserve in the world, Brazil now has a greater use of the resource in the production of clean energy. Conceived by the Consórcio Empreendedor Baixo Iguaçu (CEBI), formed by Neoenergia (a company of the Iberdrola Group) and Copel, the Baixo Iguaçu Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Southwest of Paraná will generate energy for more than one million people. The project has an installed capacity of 350 megawatts (MW) and the production will be injected into the National Interconnected System (SIN), contributing to the increase of the Brazilian energy potential. In addition to generating energy from a renewable source and at a more affordable cost, the hydroelectric plant will also act in a decisive way in the regularization of the flows to the Iguaçu Falls, in the Iguaçu National Park, considered World Natural Heritage. 

The water mirror has an approximate area of 32 km² and covers the municipalities of Capanema, Capitão Leônidas Marques, Planalto, Realeza and Nova Prata do Iguaçu. The plant called water trickle will be responsible for leveraging the economy of these five cities through tax collection. Annually, R$4 million will be collected for the use of water resources and proportionally divided according to the area occupied by the reservoir, following the federal legislation. Still in the process of construction of the plant, the Consórcio Baixo Iguaçu signed an agreement to implement improvements in the areas of education, health, public safety and leisure in the municipalities.  

The environmental contribution of Baixo Iguaçu goes beyond the regularization of the flow, one of the main preservation actions adopted by the project was the isolation of a Permanent Protection Area (100 meters from the quota of the reservoir) to conduct reforestation activities of all this area. In this perimeter will be built a cord of native forest around the reservoir and a biodiversity corridor with the Iguaçu National Park. 

Another important initiative is the Fauna Rescue and Scientific Utilization Program. This program was carried out with the disturbance and rescue of terrestrial fauna (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), semiaquatic fauna (otter and tortoise), as well as bees fauna in the areas of influence of the Baixo Iguaçu Hydroelectric Power Plant in order to minimize the impacts of suppression of vegetation and reservoir. 

The reservoir areas covered partially or totally 345 rural properties located on the banks of the Iguaçu River. As a compensatory measure, the owners were included in the land ownership program of the Consórcio Empreendedor Baixo Iguaçu. In addition to the legal process of indemnification, the project promoted the resettlement of 128 families in the region. Of this total, 106 families of non-landowners went through the process of self-resettlement. The remaining were contemplated through rural resettlement. The new owners, independently, began to contribute more effectively to local development and to their own family. The resettled have houses of 70m2, electrification, water supply, access and shed of 96m2. The program also provides technical, social and environmental assistance. 

The socioeconomic and environmental actions developed by the Consórcio Empreendedor Baixo Iguaçu converge to Iberdrola's business strategy, committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The hydroelectric plant focuses on providing accessible and non-polluting energy (goal 7), climate action (goal 13), and contributes directly to clean water and sanitation (goal 6), promoting respect for the life of terrestrial ecosystems (goal 15). 

​​​ABOUT IBERDROLA 

Iberdrola is a global leader in energy, the first wind power producer and one of the largest electricity companies in the world by market value. The Group is present in several countries and provides energy to around 100 million people, mainly in Spain, the United Kingdom (ScottishPower), the United States (AVANGRID), Brazil (Neoenergia) and Mexico. With a staff of approximately 34 thousand people and assets exceeding 113 billion euros, it had a revenue of 35 billion euros and a net profit of 3.014 billion euros in 2018. 

Iberdrola leads the energy transition to a sustainable model through its investments in renewable energy, smart grids, large-scale energy storage and digital transformation to offer the most advanced products and services to its customers. Thanks to its commitment to clean energy, it is one of the companies with the lowest emissions and an international reference for its contribution to the fight against climate change and sustainability.​