José Richa Hydroelectric Plant

The Salto Caxias Dam ( Usina Hidrelétrica de Salto Caxias, official name: Governador José Richa dam and hydroelectric power plant ) at Iguaçu in Caxias in Paraná, Brazil jamming on a reservoir covers an area of 180 km ². The shut-off is a gravity dam made ​​of rolled concrete ( RCC) and one of the largest of its kind on earth.

It is the first dam upstream of the Iguazú Falls and was built between 1995 and 1999.

The plant is operated by Copel, it has by José Richa, governor of Paraná between 1983 and 1986, named.

Shut-off

The José Richa dam is 67 m high and 1100 m long. The planner, Consultores Associados Intertechne, decided together with the client Copel that a rolled concrete dam would be 25 % cheaper than a rockfill dam. In the flood of 1998 cracks in the dam were found and Copel announced it to repair 2005.

Hydroelectric power station

The power plant is 180 m long and contains four 310- MW generators, which were built by Ansaldo Coemsa. Each generator is driven by a vertical axis Francis turbine by Kvaerner. The hydropower plant has a rated output of 1240 MW. Every year 5431 GWh of electricity can be generated. On the western side of the dam, there are 15 inlets to the power plant. From the intake structure continues with four pressure tubes made of carbon steel, each has a diameter of 11 m and 107 m long. A consortium of BSA, Coemsa and Barefame supplied the pressure tubes.

Spillway

The building has a spillway with 14 radial closures, each 16.5 m wide and 20 m high, to drain water into the canal to the main flow. You can remove almost 50,000 m³ / s.

Resettlement program

25 % of the cost of 1 billion U.S. $ were spent on a resettlement program for the 1,000 families who have been forced by the impoundment of the reservoir to get changed. The program includes the construction of community centers, roads and churches as well as payments for health, environmental protection and the provision of land.