Waste, Effluents, Emissions and Noises
According to the legislation, standards and corporate policies, Copel promotes the management of waste, effluents, emissions and noise arising from the implementation of ventures, operations and administrative processes.
Management and monitoring are carried out by the Company’s environmental departments and are disclosed annually through Copel’s Social and Environmental Reports and Integrated Report. These initiatives are coordinated by the Eco-efficiency Program and the subsidiaries, which implement this monitoring and ensure environmental responsibility throughout the supply chain.
Waste Management
Copel has a Waste Program designed to promote the correct management of solid waste, from generation to final destination; prevent negative environmental impacts and maximize positive ones, which makes it possible to meet both legal requirements and the conditions of environmental licenses.
Effluents
In Copel’s business, effluents can be categorized as administrative or process, with the necessary treatments being given to ensure their compliance with all applicable control parameters, in compliance with the legal requirements and environmental licensing of the assets, as well as from the point of view of the Company’s environmental responsibility.
The effluents from power generation facilities are continuously monitored through the Effluent Program, which develops Sampling Manuals for each facility based on CONAMA Resolution No. 430/2011. Sampling and analysis are performed by a laboratory accredited under the ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025 standard and registered with the IAT in accordance with CEMA Resolution No. 100/2017.
Domestic sanitary effluents and water used for activities carried out in maintenance workshops, such as washing parts and draining the floor of installations, are subjected to treatment in local biological and physical-chemical purification systems so that their discharges are directed to surface water bodies or sinkholes. In sanitary systems equipped with a sinkhole, there is no monitoring, as there is no discharge of effluents into surface water bodies. Sinks promote adequate infiltration of the treated effluent into the soil.
The effluents (sanitary sewage) generated in the Company’s administrative facilities are destined for the collection network of public sanitation concessionaires.
The monitoring carried out has indicated that Copel’s systems presented results in line with what is recommended in the applicable legislation.
Atmospheric Emissions
Copel derives its power primarily from hydroelectric and wind energy, reinforcing its commitment to prioritizing the use of energy from renewable sources. In line with this policy, between 2023 and 2025, the company divested its assets—the Figueira Thermal Power Plant (UTE Figueira) and the Araucária Gas-Fired Power Plant (UEGA)—and currently operates a power generation portfolio consisting entirely of renewable energy.
Noises
Copel monitors the environmental noise arising from the implementation and operation of its ventures, also breaking down the activities carried out in the Company’s administrative buildings and suppliers and service providers, in order to ensure compliance with the legal limits established by CONAMA Resolution No. 1 , of March 8, 1990, by ABNT Norms NBR-10.151 and NBR-10.152, as well as by specific state and municipal laws.
The measurements are carried out by specialized companies, using certified equipment and focusing on receivers that could be more affected by eventual noise from Copel’s facilities. The campaigns are carried out periodically, following the determinations of the environmental licenses, and the monitoring conducted helps assess potential negative impacts on the communities in the areas covered by its projects.
