Energia elétrica

fator de desenvolvimento industrial na zona metalúrgica de Minas Gerais

Resumo

                The author analyses initially the industrial metallurgic areas of the "Metallurgic Zone", demonstrating how this region was developed through its historical phases, explaining yet how it was settled as a consequence of the primitive gold exploitation.

                Only in this century, after the ancient social life organization fall down due to the gold mines became exhausted, began another activity based on iron exploitation, which promote a new development in the area, now improved with the implantation of the iron industry.

                Actually the landscape of this region reveals, by its general aspects, with their numerous and high chimneys, mines and iron work establishments, that the main activities turn around the iron-steel production.

                Many new small towns were arising as a result of this activities, where the great enterprises have constructed, besides their own buildings, worker-quarters, hospitals, schools, warehouses and other benefits in attendance of a better social welfare work.

                To rule this industrial area Belo Horizonte emerged as a regional metropolis in the end of the last century, having along with its administrative function as a capital of the State of Minas Gerais, a leading role in all over that area, where the industrial towns are spread. In recent times was brought into practice modern process of industrialization as it had already occurred in São Paulo a Rio de Janeiro.

                To promote this development it was necessary to arrange the adequate means to face this new situation, as to provide the region with electrical power. This undertaking is now under the responsibility of Centrais Elétricas de Minas Gerais S/A (CEMIG).

                The area in question has many possibilities about the establishment of hydro-electric power plants, because of the topographic conditions of that highlands, where many torrential rivers run down on mountainous regions, in certain places between narrow gorges, occurring sometimes in these places waterfalls and rapids that can be utilized.

                The exploitation of these sources of power was first made by small enterprises including some iron works and textile mills that had their own small power station, because there wasn't in that time any company specialized in electrical supply Which could furnish power to all them.

                As a consequence of this peculiarity it was impossible to connect the many power lines, in order to improve a better supplying of power, because of the diversified systems of each power station.

                After demonstrating by numerous statistical dates the participation of each enterprise in producing electrical power, the A. then analyses how the establishment of the Centrais Elétricas de Minas Gerais S/ A could enable the implantation of the modern industrialization of the Metallurgic Zone.

                Thus the CEMIG has organized a new system of power supplying by the acquisition of the old small power stations, construction of new ones and implantation of a broad net of power lines. -

                As a result of this new organization the production, begun in 1952, was about of 40,000,000 kWh, representing 5% of the whole State of Minas Gerais. In 1962 was increased to 2,500,000,000 kWh, which totalizing 62% of that State.

                With such a great production of power many other industries was able to develop and amplify its activities, as it's shown by the cartogram included in this paper. In the last chapter the A. makes reference to the planning that was carried out, its development for the purpose of attract more and more new industries to the "Metallurgic Zone".