CPFL, Furnas, CEEE Gear Up for Commercial Operation at 855-Megawatt Hydropower Station in Brazil

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Foz do Chapecó Energia S.A. (Florianópolis, Brazil), a joint venture responsible for the construction and operation of the 855-megawatt (MW) Foz do Chapecó hydropower station, is getting ready to begin commercial operation of the first of four units next month.

This venture is the result of the participation of private-utility Companhia Paulista de Força e Luz (NYSE:CPL) (CPFL) (Campinas, Brazil), public-utility Furnas Centrais Elétricas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) of the Eletrobrás family, and the power generation and transmission branch of Companhia Estadual de Energia Elétrica (CEEE) (Porto Alegre, Brazil). Their shares in Foz do Chapecó amount to 51%, 40%, and 9%, respectively.

They have just concluded the electromechanical assembly of the third turbine and are beginning the same work on Unit 4. Commissioning of Unit 1 began this month, and commissioning for Unit 2 should follow in October. Commercial operation of Unit 1 is expected to begin in the first week of October, and that of Unit 2 should begin before the end of the month. Unit 3 is expected to be brought online by the end of December, and Unit 4 in March of next year. In this way, Foz do Chapecó power station will reach full operation, with 855 MW of power output by the end of first-quarter 2011.

The reservoir reached its expected level of 131 feet on September 20, after 18 days of preparation following Brazil's Energy Regulatory Agency issuance of the operation license for the project.

Foz do Chapecó hydro power plant will run four 217-MW Alstom-manufactured Francis turbines. The plant is on the Uruguay River, on the border of the southeastern states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

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