The Itá 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, aqua ...

and

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

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 electr ...

on the

Uruguay River The Uruguay River ( ; ) is a major river in South America. It flows from north to south and forms parts of the boundaries of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of La Mesopotamia from the other two countr ...

near Itá on the border of Santa Catarina and

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

, Brazil. The power station has a capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill

embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface ...

. It is owned and operated by

Tractebel Energia ENGIE Brasil formerly Tractebel Energia is a major Brazilian utility company, headquartered in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina. It is one of the largest private electricity producers in Brazil. Its 11 plants, six of them hyd ...

and produces the equivalent of 60% of the energy consumed in Santa Catarina.

Background

Construction on Itá originally began in 1980 but was halted in 1987 because of financial conditions. In 1995, construction recommenced after a consortium was formed and the dam was complete in 2000. Most of the 6,000 people that were in the town of Itá were relocated to a new area above the reservoir. The

Fritz Plaumann State Park The Fritz Plaumann State Park () is a state park in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. It protects one of the last remnants of seasonal deciduous forest in the state on the shore of the reservoir of the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant. Locatio ...

was created in 2003 as environmental compensation for the dam.

Itá Dam

The Itá Dam is a long and high concrete face rock-fill

with a crest elevation of above sea level. The dam's reservoir has a capacity of , surface area of and catchment area of . The dam supports two spillways, one of its right abutment with six

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 and ...

s and another on the ridge to the dam's west, just south of the power plant which has 4 floodgates. Each gate measures wide and tall and in total, both spillways have a maximum capacity of . Also on the ridge is the power plant's intake and three axillary dikes to support the reservoir level. The power plant intake is wide and contains five gates that allow water to enter the five

penstock A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydro turbines and sewerage systems. The term is of Scots origin, and was inherited from the earlier technology of mill pond ...

s that are in diameter and average in length.

Power plant

The above ground power station is long and wide and contains five generators powered by

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The pro ...

s. The first generator was commissioned in July 2000 and four more later that year with the last generator being commissioned in March 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ita Hydroelectric Power Plant Energy infrastructure completed in 2001 Hydroelectric power stations in Brazil Dams in Santa Catarina (state) Dams in Rio Grande do Sul

Background

Itá Dam

Power plant

See also

References