EN 
PT_BR 
Energisa and the Government of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul announced, this Tuesday morning (2), the beginning of the universalization of the Ilumina Pantanal program, which will bring, this year, electricity to around five thousand people who live in areas that are difficult to access and that do not yet have the service available.
The initiative plans to supply 90,000 km² of the biome by the end of 2022, equivalent to the territories of the Netherlands and Denmark combined. In total, the electricity connection will be made to 2,167 isolated properties in the municipalities of Aquidauana, Corumbá, Coxim, Ladário, Miranda, Porto Murtinho and Rio Verde de Mato Grosso.
Of this amount, 77 pieces of equipment will use the traditional electricity transmission model, while the remaining 2,090 will use a solar system. This year alone, 1,300 units will be installed, while the other 867 will be fixed in 2022. “There will be no installation cost for owners, who will only pay a social fee every month for use, an average of R$ 30”, said Reinaldo Azambuja, governor of Mato Grosso do Sul.
The Ilumina Pantanal project, which began to be discussed in 2014 and has already gone through two phases of studies, has investments of R$ 134 million. “In the first phase, we studied what the social, environmental and economic impacts of the project would be. Then, in phase two, we look for the best technology to meet the needs of the population. Today, we are launching the project”, said Marcelo Vinhaes, CEO of Energisa Mato Grosso do Sul.
For Jaime Verruck, state secretary of Environment, Economic Development, Production and Family Agriculture, the arrival of technology in these communities, in addition to bringing a better quality of life to the inhabitants, will also be useful in promoting tourism and the activities of local producers, such as agriculture and fishing. “We are reaching 100% in the Pantanal, serving riverside communities and rural producers across the region, two extremely important populations.”
Also according to him, the option to install more than 2 thousand solar panels was taken with the aim of minimizing environmental impacts in the region. “The chosen model, which is photovoltaic energy, has the lowest environmental impact and is the most appropriate to be taken to the entire Pantanal region, which has many areas that are difficult to access.”
Timeline
From July onwards, the majority of consumer units served will have individual photovoltaic solar generation microsystems installed and excess energy storage in batteries. This way, the supply of clean and uninterrupted electricity to customers is guaranteed even at night and on rainy or cloudy days, when there is little sunlight. Residents will receive instructions on how to use energy correctly.
