Cemig Committed to Biodiversity
The Company operates in the generation, transmission, distribution, commercialization of electric energy and, for each enterprise, specialized studies are developed, which characterize, evaluate and establish environmental programs aimed at controlling, mitigating, compensating for negative impacts and potentiation of the positive ones, according to their nature.
As a company that operates in different businesses, generation, transmission and distribution, we measure our impact on biodiversity through the rate of compliance with the actions planned for biodiversity. The actions are related to both fauna and flora, involving projects executed internally and in partnerships, as described below.
Generation
In the generation business, Cemig has a mostly hydroelectric matrix, built, at least, 18 years ago. The need to understand the main factors and mechanisms of impacts on biodiversity for the adoption of mitigating and compensatory measures reinforce the importance of effective environmental monitoring, management and conservation programs by companies. For 15 years, Cemig has been developing the “Peixe Vivo” [Live Fish] Program, created in 2007, to minimize impacts on fish diversity, seeking management solutions and technologies integrating electricity generation with the conservation of native fish species, promoting community involvement. The guidelines and main purposes of the Program were defined together with the help of scientists, biologists specialized in the area (ichthyologists), fishermen, members of civil society and governmental and non-governmental organizations, through integrated workshops. The program operates on two fronts, one aimed at conserving fish, mainly in the State of Minas Gerais, and the other focused on forming protection strategies to avoid and prevent the death of fish in hydroelectric power plants of Cemig. For such, the actions of the Program are supported by three pillars: i) monitoring, management and conservation programs aimed at the adoption of best practices; ii) research and development expanding scientific knowledge about the fish fauna and supporting more efficient management and conservation strategies; iii) relationship with the community, disseminating the actions and results of the Program to society in different ways.
Below are presented the actions developed and planned for the Program.
Within the Program for the environmental regularization of hydroelectric power plants, Cemig prepares the Environmental Plan for the Conservation and Use of the Surroundings of the Artificial Reservoir – Pacuera. This plan is a set of guidelines and propositions with the purpose of disciplining the conservation, recovery, use and environmental occupation of the surroundings of the reservoir, meeting the precepts of the legislation, the needs of the hydroelectric project and the surrounding community.
In this regard, Pacuera seeks to reconcile the anthropic use of the surrounding area with the operational rules of the reservoir, as well as with the conservation and maintenance of permanent preservation areas and improvement of local ecosystems, through the proposal of a terrestrial zoning that disciplines the use and occupation on the shores of the lake. For the construction of this plan, Public Consultations are carried out with the population of the municipalities surrounding the reservoir, at which time all interested people and entities in the region can access its content and express their views. After approving the Plan, the management of the surroundings is carried out in a shared manner with communities, local authorities, entrepreneurs and other related entities, ensuring the sustainable and orderly use of the reservoir’s surroundings.
Considering that invasive species are the second largest cause of biodiversity loss in the world (United Nations Development Programme – UNDP), Cemig works by developing actions and research to minimize their impacts on hydroelectric power plants. One of the invasive species we monitor is the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei). The monitoring of the larvae in the reservoirs of the power plants aims to respond quickly to the invasion, looking for the least possible impact on the operation. And, in line with the “national plan to combat and control the golden mussel” of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, Cemig seeks to prevent new invasions within 5 years and, if they occur, respond quickly by avoiding the establishment of this species within its units.
Contributing to the increase in scientific knowledge about invasive species, the R&D project 604 “Control of the golden mussel: bioengineering and new materials for applications in ecosystems and hydroelectric plants-phase 2” has been running since 2019. This project, around 7 million, develops new approaches to control invasive species, training researchers and students and enabling environmentally appropriate innovations.
Specifically for fauna, the Queimado Hydroelectric Power Plant carries out work to monitor the fauna around its reservoir. The purpose of this program is to understand the changes generated with the mitigating measures of the enterprise, at the local and landscape level, with regard to fauna.
The Fauna Increment subprogram deserves to be highlighted, with completion deadline in 2024 considering the effectiveness of the Operating License of the power plant, which aims to create favorable environmental conditions for animals to assist in the process of recovery of degraded areas or environments. By implanting perches, rows of wood and plant species producing fruits in the landscape, they should act as attractions for the fauna by increasing the environment by offering places of rest and refuge for animals moving between the Cerrado fragments, as well as a source of food resources. To test the effectiveness of these attractants, the groups of mastofauna (mammals), herpetofauna (snakes, lizards, frogs, etc.) and avifauna (birds) are monitored on a quarterly basis in areas where increments were implemented through camera traps, live and pitfall traps, direct observation.
Cemig is committed to recovering, protecting and conserving the forests, rivers and fauna surrounding the projects. In this regard, the Company is contributing to the fulfillment of UN SDG 15: “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”. Currently, Cemig has conservation areas that are highly significant for the biomes where they are located. The company has three Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPN): RPPN Fartura located in the Municipality of Capelinha, State of Minas Gerais, with 1455 hectares;, RPPN Galheiros, inserted in the Cerrado Biome, located in Perdizes, State of Minas Gerais, with 2695 hectares and RPPN Power Plant Coronel Domiciano that is inserted in the Atlantic Forest Biome and located in the municipalities of Muriaé and Rosário da Limeira, State of Minas Gerais, with 263.5 hectares. It also has the Environmental Station Peti, which is located on the banks of the reservoir of Hydroelectric Power Plant Peti, which has 504 hectares and is divided between the municipalities of Santa Barbara and São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo – State of Minas Gerais.
Currently, Cemig is not building any power generation plants, but in its strategic planning for 2032, there is an ambition to build solar and wind farms. In these studies and projects, we shall apply the mitigation hierarchy reaching at least a No Net Loss level, but always aiming for Net Gain. In these studies and projects, we seek to establish mitigating and, when necessary, compensatory measures.
Transmission
In the transmission business, we focus on preventing fires, which, in addition to impacting the operation of our lines, bring great damage to local biodiversity. The fires impact the fauna and flora and can harm the progress of projects for the recovery of degraded areas and reforestation for forest compensation. To build its action plan, the company maps the points with the greatest history of fires along its lines, identifies the main causative agents and carries out an engagement and communication plan for the topic. In the environmental regularization program of its projects, Cemig, when executing its forest compensation programs, adopts techniques able to prevent the emergence of outbreaks of forest fires in these areas. Cemig’s hope is that by 2030 there will be no fires around its lines.
As an action to reduce fires and/or forest fires, the “Apaga o Fogo” [Put Out the Fire] (www.apagaofogo.eco.br) stands out, which aims to fight fire outbreaks in areas covered by transmission lines and in the areas of environmental preservation. With the use of this technology, it is possible to identify in the shortest possible time the sources of smoke and fire in sensitive regions, as the monitoring is entirely on the WEB network, using remote and autonomous cameras and has voluntary support from the internet and application of artificial intelligence.
Distribution
In line with the ambition of no net deforestation (compensate for areas where deforestation occurs for the construction of new distribution lines), CEMIG uses IDE SISEMA, a web application made available by the State Government on this website for identifying protected areas in the State of Minas Gerais managed by the Federal, State and Municipal governments. IDE SISEMA is a work tool, with an environmental focus, used in the planning and preparation of projects of electrical distribution networks and lines, operation and maintenance of existing structures. This application seeks to reduce environmental impacts when opening new urban and rural distribution networks and lines and, in those networks and lines where it is not possible to eliminate impacts on biodiversity, the relevant forest compensation is carried out. For these compensations, there is a technical cooperation agreement between Cemig and the IEF State Forestry Institute, which provides for these compensations to be carried out within Conservation Units and in protected areas such as Legal Reserves and Permanent Preservation Areas – APP, from the indication of the IEF itself. In the Development Plan of the Distributor, where the projects to be carried out until 2027 are established, the goal is to use the IDE SISEMA in 100% of the lines to be built and compensate for the impacts, when applicable.