Half of the 28 plants controlled by Tractebel Energia – or 83.6% of the operated capacity – is certified in accordance with NBR ISO 9001 (for quality), NBR ISO 14001 (for the environment) and NBR OHSAS 18001 (for Occupational Health and Safety) standards. In the area of social responsibility, the Company endeavors to adhere to the orientations in the NBR ISO 26000 standard (not susceptible to certification); the three plants in the Jorge Lacerda Thermoelectric Complex are among the 14 which are certified according to the NBR ISO 50001 standard for energy management. The standard provides support for companies worldwide in the drive for improving energy performance, increasing efficiency and reducing the impacts related to climate change. The Jorge Lacerda Thermoelectric Complex is the first electric energy generation business in Brazil to receive this certification, valid for three years up to 2018.

Operating performance

Tractebel Energia believes the reliability, uptime and safety of its generator complex are fundamental aspects in quality management. The Company measures these aspects through an internal plant uptime indicator, the calculation of which takes into account the energy supply capacity of the installations and the period of unscheduled and emergency downtime at the generator units.

For the full 12-month period of 2015, excluding scheduled stoppages, the plants reported uptime of 97.4%: 99.0% in the case of the hydroelectric plants, 87.2% for the thermal powered units and 96.6% for the units driven by complementary sources.

Plant uptime, excluding scheduled stoppages

The overall uptime for the year taking into consideration programmed stoppages was 86.9%: 89.1% for the hydroelectric plants, 72.5% for the thermoelectric plants and 87.2% for the plants powered from complementary energy sources. Modernization work in progress simultaneously at the Salto Santiago and Passo Fundo power plants and programed modernization at Ponte de Pedra, depressed the overall uptime performance of the hydroelectric plants and reflected in the overall uptime result as well.

The following table shows the corporate targets for the principal operating indicators and the results achieved in 2015 for the management of plant operational quality.

Operational targets 2015
Description Target Result
Uptime at the hydroelectric plants, discounting programmed stoppages 98.5% 99.0%
Satisfaction Ratio of the National Electric System Operator (ONS) 90.0% 93.6%

In 2015, the Company’s total electricity energy output reached 47,622 GWh (5,436 average MW): a reduction of 2.7% in relation to 2014. This is is is due above all to low flow hydrology in the North Region, the location of the Estreito and Cana Brava hydro plants, and to the programmed stoppages for modernization of the generator units units at the Salto Santiago, Passo Fundo and Ponte de Pedra operations. Out of total generated energy, the hydroelectric plants were responsible for 39,723 GWh (4,534 average MW), a 2.9% reduction; the thermal plants, for 6,410 GWh (732 average MW), a decline of 2.8%; and the complementary plants for 1,489 GWh (170 average MW), an increase of 4.0%.

In this context, it is worth pointing out that an increase in the Company’s hydroelectric generation does not necessarily reflect an improvement in economic-financial performance. Conversely, a reduction in this type of generation does not imply categorically a deterioration in economic-financial performance due to the adoption of the Energy Reallocation Mechanism (MRE), which defrays the risks of hydro generation among its participants.

As to the Company’s thermal generation, its increase reduces exposure to the Price for the Settlement of Differences (PLD), the opposite being the case when there is a decrease, all other variables being equal.

With its coal-fired thermal plants, Tractebel Energia has set a priority to achieve reference values for net energy efficiency as established in Aneel’s Normative Resolution 500 of July 17, 2012. This establishes an efficiency value of 25% for plants with an installed capacity of up to 50MW; 30% above 50MW and up to 150MW; and 35% for remaining plants. GRI G4-EU11

Generation (in average MW)
Average efficiency of Tractebel Energia’s thermoelectric plants in 2015 GRI G4-EU1 G4-EU11
Thermoelectric Plants /Unit Installed capacity (MW) Average efficiency (%) Main fuel Aneel reference value (NR 500)1
Jorge Lacerda Complex UTLA 12 100 22 Coal 30
UTLA 22 132 29 Coal 30
UTLB 262 29 Coal 35
UTLC 363 34 Coal 35
Total CTJL3 857 31 Coal 33.65
Charqueadas UTCH 72 19 Coal 25
William Arjona UTWA 190 26 Gas  -
1.The reference values in Aneel’s Normative Resolution 500 relates to coal-fired thermoelectric plants only.
2. The UTLA units were listed individually (in 1 and 2) given their differing characteristics (in terms of operating periods, equipment manfacturer, installed capacity etc.).
3. In the case of the thermoelectric complexes where there is more than one plant belonging to the same concessionaire, the use of the reference value for measuring net energy efficiency may be on a joint basis.








EXCLUDING PROGRAMMED SHUTDOWNS, UPTIME AT THE COMPANY’S PLANTS WAS 97.4% IN 2015

IN 2015, THE NATIONAL
ELECTRICITY SYSTEM OPERATOR (ONS) RECORDED A SATISFACTION RATIO FOR TRACTEBEL ENERGIA OF 93.6%,
3.6 P.P. BETTER THAN 2014


83.6%
OF THE COMPANY’S TOTAL
OPERATED CAPACITY IS CERTIFIED ACCORDING TO NBR ISO 9001, NBR ISO Q4001 AND NBRF OHSAS 18001 STANDARDS.