The Machadinho Hydroelectric Power Plant is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

and hydroelectric

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an el ...

on the Pelotas River near Machadinho on the border of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. The power station has a capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill embankment dam. It is owned and operated by Machadinho Energetica and produces the equivalent of 37% of the energy consumed in Santa Catarina.

Background

Since 1966 and 1981, a series of studies were carried out on the Machadinho Dam and by 1982 a design was submitted and approved. The plant was slated to being commercial operations in 1993 but the project was delayed because of environmental concerns. The designers reevaluated the project and moved the dam's location further upstream on the river. After a new series of studies and new design were submitted, the project was approved in 1995. The design was prepared by

Coyne et Bellier Coyne et Bellier is a global consulting and engineering firm based out of Gennevilliers, France. They specialize in infrastructure projects such as dams, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants, roads, tunnels and other below-surface facilities. The ...

. Construction began on March 2, 1998 and by October 26, 1999, the river diversion was complete. By August 28, 2001, the dam was near completion and it began to impound the Pelotas River. On February 16, 2002, the first generator began to operate and by August 31, 2002 the dam was completed.

Machadinho Dam

The Machadinho Dam is a long and high concrete face rock-fill embankment dam with a crest elevation of above sea level. The dam's reservoir has a capacity of , a surface area of and a catchment area of . The dam supports a

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...

with eight

floodgate Floodgates, also called stop gates, are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices a ...

s measuring wide and tall with maximum capacity of .

Power plant

The above ground power station is long and wide and contains three 136 ton, generators powered by Francis turbines. The first generator was commissioned February 16, 2002, the second on April 30 and the final on December 7 of that same year.

References

{{Authority control Energy infrastructure completed in 2002 Hydroelectric power stations in Brazil 2002 establishments in Brazil Dams in Santa Catarina (state) Dams in Rio Grande do Sul

Background

Machadinho Dam

Power plant

See also

References