Campos Novos Dam

Dam accident in June 2006

The Campos Novos - Dam was built in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina between August 2001 and July 2006 at the Rio Canoas, a tributary of the Uruguay River. The 202 m high dam at Campos Novos is probably the third highest of this type ( CFRD concrete faced rockfill dam = ) of the earth. He is also the highest dam in Brazil.

The construction costs amounted to 671 million U.S. dollars. The dam is part of a hydroelectric complex, which delivers 880 MW of electrical power. A second dam, there are further below, and together they can hold more than two billion cubic meters of water.

The over 35 years of regular concession for the construction and operation of Campos Novos, in 1998 issued to Enercan, a consortium of Brazilian CPFL Energia with 48.7 %, the Brazilian producer of aluminum CBA with 22.7 %, metallurgy company CNT with 20%, the state company Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina with 6.5% Celesc with 2%.

The construction companies led by the Brazilian company Camargo Correa and the consulting engineers Engevix. The project was financed by the Inter -American Development Bank and the Brazilian government National Bank for Economic and Social Development.

On 20 June 2006 there was an accident in which all the water leaked through a break in the dam. People did not come here to harm. In November 2006, the damage was repaired and the reservoir was filled up to 1 March 2007. The last of the three generators went on April 30, 2007.