Technology and care

The Santo Antonio hydroelectric plant is located in the heart of the Amazon Basin and six years of detailed study were carried out on the environmental social and commercial aspects. The depth and complexity of the studies set new standards for analyzing environmental impacts on the installation of hydroelectric plants in Brazil.

The plant is being constructed on a stretch of the River Madeira where the Santo Antônio waterfall is located, about 10 km from Porto Velho. The survey decided on the best ways of taking advantage of the hydroelectric power of the river under conditions which respect the environment and the population in the region. Between 2001 and 2007, R$ 150 million were invested in engineering, inventory, viability and impact studies (Estudo e Relatório de Impacto Ambiental - EIA/Rima - Environmental Impact Study and Report).

Institutions from different sectors took part in the studies: the Federal University of Rondônia (Unir), the National Institute of Amazon Research (Inpa), the Geological Service of Brazil (CPRM), the Emílio Goeldi Paraense Museum (MPEG), the Institute of Research in Tropical Pathologies (Ipepatro) and the non-governmental organization CPPT-Cuniã.

The basic criteria for the construction of the project was the development of engineering and equipment solutions which would produce the lowest social and environmental impacts possible while allowing the greatest capacity  of energy generation at the same time.

The Santo Antonio hydroelectric plant has installed capacity of 3,150.4 MW (megawatts). It is scheduled to come into operation in 2011 and reach full capacity within 36 months of its inauguration. When it is operating at full capacity it will produce more than 19.5 million MWh (megawatt-year) of electrical energy a year - equivalent to around 4.3% of Brazilian production in 2007.

The project is regarded as a benchmark in hydroelectric construction in a sustainable way and is being carried out with the latest generation technology which is less harmful to the environment. It is the first time that a plant a low drop (25 meters) has been built in the Amazon basin. The Santo Antônio HEP will work with bulb turbine, technology which will allow the flow of the river Madeira itself to be used for energy generation, without the need to have water falling from a high level to move the turbines. This technique allows the operation to go ahead without the need to create a large reservoir, thereby reducing the flooded area and the impact on the Amazon forest and the people who live on the riverbank in the region.

The Santo Antônio HEP will service the two transmission systems: continuous and alternate current. Around 10,800 people will be directly employed at the peak of the works in 2011. The hydroelectric plant should begin operations in May 2011 with two of the 44 turbines functioning.

Small reservoir
It was decided to reduce the area to be flooded in order to obtain the installation license which was granted by the Brazilian nature protection agency, Ibama, on August 18, 2008. This was made possible because the plant will use a "run of river" system, thanks to the bulb turbine. With this system the turbines are placed in a horizontal position and moved not by the water fall but by the current which maintains the flow and the speed of the river constant. The Santo Antônio HEP reservoir will cover an area de 271 km².

Santo Antônio HEP - Technical Information

• Location: River Madeira, 10 Km from Porto Velho (RO)
  Geographical coordinations: 08 48’04.0" S e 63 56’59.8" W
  Distance from the mouth of the river: 1,063 Km
  Drainage area: 988,873 Km²
  Upstream level: 70 meters
  Downstream level: 52.73 meters
  Power: 3,150 MW
  Firm energy: 2,140 MW average
  Number of turbines: 44
  Type of turbine: Bulb
  Reservoir: 271 Km²
  Link to the Basic Grid (SIN): 500 kV, 5 km, double circuit
  Period for generation of first unit: 48 months
  Period for conclusion of the installation: 90 months (7.5 years)