AES Andes Constructs Argentina Hydro Power Stations

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston Texas). AES Andes (Buenos Aires, Argentina), the Latin American subsidiary of AES Corporation (Arlington, Virginia) (NYSE: AES), acquired from the Argentine Government in April 1998 a 45-megawatt hydroelectric power station called the Quebrada de Ullum located on the San Juan River in Argentina's San Juan Province. The contract called for a refurbishment and operation of the power station under a 30-year concession agreement plus the construction of two new hydroelectric power stations called the Los Caracoles (120 Megawatts) and the Punta Negra (60 Megawatts) to be constructed on the same site. The project with an estimated $360 million price tag is currently under construction and is projected to be completed and operational by early 2007. (PEC 66000071 & 66000072)

The construction of the two new hydroelectric power stations was awarded to a consortium formed by AES Andes and one of Argentina's top engineering and heavy construction companies called Panedile. The project consists first of constructing a new road linking the district of Calingasta with the city of San Juan to accommodate public and construction work traffic. Next the river deviation works for Los Caracoles is to be built on the right bank of the San Juan river through a 2,197' long and 26' diameter tunnel with a coated section that will later work as the bottom unloader. The river deviation works for Punta Negra will be carried out by a 1,548' long double pipe; with the first pipe to discharge water directly into the river and the second pipe to feed the Quebrada de Ullum hydro station located downstream of the two planned hydro power stations.

The Los Caracoles dam will be constructed of loose materials with waterproof concrete surface at a length of 2,033' and a water storage capacity of 19,955 cubic feet. The spillway will be regulated by two 31' high and 63' wide radial floodgates and a 767' long and 14' diameter penstock that will feed two 60 megawatt Francis hydro turbine generators.

The Punta Negra dam will be constructed of loose materials with a concrete waterproof surface at a length of 2,371' long and 303' high with a storage capacity of 17,660 cubic feet. The spillway will also be regulated by two 31' high and 63' wide radial floodgates that will enable it to evacuate a maximum flow rate of 11,302 cubic meters of water per second. The penstock will have a total length of 459' with a diameter of 16' to feed two 30 megawatt Francis hydro turbine generators. The power generated will be transmitted by a power line of high tension at 132 kilovolts with a length of 45 kilometers that will interconnect both power stations to the San Juan City grid.