The MachadinhoConsortium has invested in the re-composition of the landscape and in roads and the electricity network in the region. It has applied resources in the infrastructure for rural resettlements, by building schools, a church, community centers and leisure centers, in addition to offering financial help until the first harvest and technical agricultural and social assistance for a five-year period.

During the building work the Machadinho Consortium employed more than 7000 people, and created 30,000 indirect jobs. With the filling of the reservoir 754 families, located on 1080 properties, were transferred to new living locations. Hundreds of other familiesreceived compensationand were given the opportunity to choose a place to live and work.

The Machadinho Hydroelectric Power Plant is animportantsustainable development agent in the region. Because of this the Consortium is keen to build a strong and lasting relationship with the communities surrounding the undertaking in order to contribute to their economic and socialdevelopment.

In partnership with the governmentagencies and third sector entities in the municipalities affected, the Machadinho Consortium promotes, sponsors and supports various projects that are the initiative of the communities, and in which the Alcoa Institute plays a significant part.

An innovative partnership that was established in 2011 is associated with the project for protecting water sources in rural communities in the municipality of Machadinho. In a partnership between the AlcoaInstitute and the Machadinho Hydroelectric Power PlantConsortium, Tractebel Energia and Embrapa, funds will be invested over a two-year period for protecting 24 water sources, by planting native trees and maté shrubs on almost 40 hectares of land in order to improve water quality and help perpetuate this natural resource.

Event held at Alcoa in July 2011 for the handing over of partner funds to Apromote (the farming association that will set up the projects)

To guarantee funds for areas considered essential to sustainable development the Machadinho Consortium, as a priority, directs its investments to helping projects related to health, education, security and social and cultural development.

Machadinho Hydro Plant visit program

In August 2007, with the purpose of integrating the community and the power plant, the MachadinhoHydroelectric Power Plantintroduced a major visit program (approximately 500 visitors per month). The target audience for these visitsis public school students, associations, institutions, entities and leaders from the community of municipalities bordering the hydropower plant reservoir.

Visitors are able to watch the institutional video of the complex and visit the installations, accompanied by trained guides. During theprogram people have the opportunity to visit the observatory platform, the powerhouse and the control building.

In order to maintain a constant flow of visitors the Machadinho Consortium uses professionals to manage the program andconcerns itself with publicizing the initiative.

Periodic visits are paid to schools, companies and representative regional entities to provide information about the power plant and to reiterate the invitation to take part in the visit program. To facilitate transport to the power plant partnerships have been signed with some regional town administrations which have assumed responsibility for transferring people from the towns.

In 2010, 7528 people were welcomed by the visit program, anincrease of 15% over the previous year. Of this number 932 were students from the region’s schools.

To schedule a visit to the power plant, call 0800-644-0026.

Essay writing competition

Every year, in order to stimulate debate about cultural and environmental issues, the Machadinho Consortium holds an essay writing competition, which is aimed at eighth grade students from nearby municipal schools.

In order to prepare candidates forthecompetition the Consortium holds a workshop on writing techniques, with teachers from various schools in the region participating. In 2010, 661 students from28 schools took part in the competition, a 45% increase in the number of enrollments relative to the previous year.

The winning essays were chosen by a committee of universityteachers, who form the examining board of essays for the entrance exams for the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) andthe State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). The three best-placed students won lap tops.

In 2011 the Essay Writing Competition will give lap tops to the writers of the five best essays on the theme, the International Year of Forests.

Help Centers forthe local population

Integration with the community that lives in the area covered by the MachadinhoHydroelectric Power Plant is one of the priorities of the Machadinho Consortium. The Population Help Centers (CAPs) are theinstruments that allow this relationship to become closer and stronger day by day. With a CAP located in the municipality of iratuba (SC) and another in Barracão (RS), the Machadinho Hydroelectric Power Plant makes itself available to listento and solve the problems and concerns of the citizens from the surrounding municipalities.

The Population Help Centers are contacted 25 times a month, on average, on matters of the most varied kind, such as requests for a right to benefit and/or compensation, the release of resettlement title deeds, requests to purchase remaining areas of the CMA, requests for donations and sponsorship, etc.

Contact

Population Help Center
Tel: 0800-6440026

Visit Program
Tel: 0800-6440026

Website
www.machadinho.com.br

Address
Av. Madre Benvenuta, 1168 – mezzanine floor
88035-000 Florianópolis – SC
Tel:(48) 3331-0070