São Paulo, May 7, 2018 - The 10th anniversary of the EDP Institute was celebrated on Saturday (May 5, International Portuguese Language Day) with a concert titled Letras de Luz (Letters of Light) which brought together Gilberto Gil, one of the stalwarts of Brazilian pop music, and Carminho, one of the most renowned Fado singers today Held in Sala São Paulo, the concert also included performances by duo Vanessa Moreno/Fi Maróstica, the ECA/USP Chamber Orchestra (conducted by Maestro Gil Jardim), actor Ricardo Homuth, and guest musicians. The event was an EDP production with the support of the Portuguese Embassy.

"This concert has a double symbolism for EDP. First, it explores the splendor and colorfulness of lusophony through music, as interpreted by Brazilian and Portuguese talents, to celebrate the Institute 10-year trajectory as a socio-cultural transformation agent in Brazil. Second, it chooses International Portuguese Language Day for this celebration, as a tribute to our common language and the ties that bind us," says EDP Brasil and EDP Institute President Miguel Setas.  

"Portuguese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, which gives it the status of a global language. Fortunately, we are now witnessing a growing interest in the Portuguese language, in its energy, economic potential and plurality. On this day in which we celebrate the Portuguese language, we also celebrate its wealth, which stems from the diversity of identities and cultures, and this increases our responsibility to actively promote its expansion and dissemination," says the Portuguese ambassador to Brazil, Jorge Cabral.

10 years of EDP Institute

At the mission of the EDP Institute is to contribute to the social development of the communities where EDP operates by implementing income generation initiatives, improving the quality of learning environments, encouraging sports activities, and supporting health-related projects. Over a decade, about 700,000 people have benefited from 377 EDP Institute projects. In 2017 alone, 35 projects reached 60,000 people living in the vicinity of the Company operation areas in Amapá, Bahia, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Tocantins, Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.

Celebrating the Portuguese language is another priority for the Institute, which, together with EDP, is the main sponsor of the refurbishment works at the Portuguese Language Museum in São Paulo - an R$20 million investment until 2019. Likewise, in 2018 the Company will sponsor the Paraty International Literary Festival (FLIP) for the second consecutive year, and has also created the traveling exhibition The Energy of the Portuguese Language, which traveled through Brazil in 2017 to bring culture and information about the language to more than 11,000 visitors.

O ne of the mainstays of the EDP Institute is Volunteering, inspiring company employees to engage in social and environmental activities. In 10 years, EDP workers have given 42,000 hours of volunteer work to about 1,200 causes, thus benefiting 150 organizations. In 2017 alone, 450 EDP workers took part in these activities.

International Portuguese Language Day

Celebrated since 2009, the purpose of the International Portuguese Language Day is to strengthen the relevance of our language, which, according to the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) - the organization that created the event - represents "a historical bond and a common heritage resulting from a centuries-old coexistence that must be valued."

According to the Camões Institute, there are currently 260 million native Portuguese speakers in the world Last year, Portuguese Language and Cultures Day was in 49 countries with 210 initiatives.

About EDP Brasil

With more than 20 years experience in Brazil,EDP is one of the five largest private companies in the electricity sector and operates in all segments of the value chain.The Company employs over 10,000 workers(direct and outsourced) and operates 15 hydroelectric generation units and 1 thermoelectric plant.It serves about 3.3 million customers through its distributors in São Paulo and Espírito Santo,while also operating in the Transmission,Trading and Energy Solution segments.It is a leading company in areas such as Governance and Sustainability,and it has been listedfor 12 consecutive years on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index.More recently,EDP Brasil has become a pioneer in implementing process automation systems and acquired an equity in Celesc(Santa Catarina).It has market value of about R$9 billion, three times more than in 2005,when it was listed on the stock market.