Clean and sustainable energy for the State of Rio Grande do Norte
The 206 MW Cumaru wind farm is located in the municipality of São Miguel do Gostoso, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, and its construction required an investment of around 184 million US dollars. The farm is able to generate more than 966 GWh per year, thereby avoiding the emission of approximately 544,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.
Technology
Wind
Status
In operation
Capacity
206 MW
Energy production
966 GWh annually
CO2 Emissions avoided
544,000 tons annually
Electricity Equivalent
The equivalent of the consumption of 444,000 Brazilian households
Status of construction phase
Enel Green Power is committed to a Sustainable Construction Site model, which aims to minimize the impact of the construction of solar parks and wind farms on the environment. When we build projects, we monitor sustainability performance for energy, waste and water management, and the economic impact on the local community. This project was, however, particularly challenging as it coincided with the advent of the Covid pandemic. Indeed, it was the first project in Brazil to have been built under these conditions. As is the case with all activities at EGP, the status of the pandemic was constantly monitored. We implemented working practices, strict travel guidelines, social distancing, project site sanitation and other best practices to protect the health of our employees and the community in which we operate.
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Construction Jobs 1,000
Construction Jobs 1,000 Jobs in the construction phase
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Investment 184
Investment 184 Million US dollars
Community Impact
At Enel Green Power we believe that sustainability covers all areas of life, and for this reason the construction of the Cumaru Wind Farm featured a number of related projects. There was, for example, a sustainable vegetable garden which provided fresh food for the employees’ meals. There was also a Sustainable Culinary Farm project, which encouraged employees to eat healthily and keep food waste to a minimum. Every week they received videos featuring “mouth-watering” recipes that included parts of fruit and vegetables that would normally get discarded (such as peels, stalks, seeds, etc.).
And, in order to promote environment awareness in general, the Cumaru Wind Farm had a multi-disciplinary team of 40 volunteers that focused on the concepts of social responsibility and sustainability. This particular project not only involved Enel Green Power, but also DoisA Engenharia, Engelmig Energia, Gaja Consultoria Socioambiental, OGTEC Serviços Operacionais, Proyfe Brasil, Shift Gestão de Serviços, SIMM Soluções and STPC.
We also hope to promote environmental awareness among the next generation. For this reason, we designed a fun board game for children, both those of employees and the local communities in general. The idea was to reach the Tourinhos beach, passing through towns along the way. As they did so, the players learned about such issues as garbage collection, fires, Covid 19, traffic and tourism, as well as the area’s natural beauty.
Digital Initiatives
Drones were used for specific purposes, such as topography services, as well as for supporting activities related to the digging of the foundation of the wind towers. QRCode technology was also used for the digitalization of processes such as the control of the project’s operational documentation.