Bento Munhoz Hydroelectric Plant


The Governor Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto Hydroelectric Plant, formerly known as Foz do Areia, is dam and hydroelectric power plant on the Iguazu River near Foz do Areia in Paraná, Brazil. It is the furthest dam upstream of the Iguazu Falls and was constructed between 1976 and 1980. The power station has a capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill embankment dam.
As their main power plant, it is owned and operated by Copel who renamed it after Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto, governor of Paraná between 1951 and 1955.

History

In May 1973, Copel was awarded the concession contract to construct the dam and by May 1974, various studies had recommended a site near the confluence of the Inguazu and Da Areia Rivers. By August of that year, a design was chosen and in October 1976 after contracts were awarded, construction began. The river was diverted with two diameter and long diversion tunnels. To facilitate the river's diversion, two cofferdams were constructed, one upstream and one downstream of the site. The upstream cofferdam was high and allowed the diversion of up to of water. The dam began to impound the reservoir in 1980 and by October it was filled and complete.
At the time of completion, the dam was the tallest and largest concrete face rock-fill dam in the world. It was also the first of its type to have a reservoir of its size. The techniques to construction the dam were instrumental and an advancement as of fill was placed each month for two years in a row. The stability and integrity of such a large dam with a large reservoir helped bring confidence to its specific design.

Dam

The Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto Dam is a long and high concrete face rock-fill type. The dam contains a total of material which includes of rock-fill and of concrete. The dam's spillway is controlled by four wide and high tainter gates. It has a capacity and is long and wide. Water is brought towards the power station intake through a channel which is long and wide. The actual power intake structure is high, wide and allows for a maximum reservoir level depletion of. Six wheel-type gates facilitate bring water into the power station. An additional gate exists for maintenance purposes.

Power station

From the intake, six long penstocks deliver water to the generators as their diameter reduces from. The power station contains four generators for a total installed capacity of. Space for an additional two generators exist and if installed would bring the plant's total installed capacity to.