Brasília – The Belo Monte hydroelectric plant initiated power generation this Wednesday (20) with the start of operations of its first turbine, which adds more 611.11 MW to the National Interconnected System (SIN), reported in a statement Norte Energia, the company responsible for the plant. Belo Monte is located along the Xingu River, near Altamira, Pará state.
According to Norte Energia, the first turbine to generate power commercially is installed in the plant’s main powerhouse. “There, other 17 generating unities are in the assembly phase, and will be concluded and activated, gradually, until 2019. Also, the first tests were made for commercial generation of the first turbine at Sítio Pimental, where the spillway and main dam are located. The secondary powerhouse will hold six bulb turbines, each one with a capacity of 38.8 MW”, says the statement.
According to the concessionaire, Belo Monte’s construction works are practically concluded and the electromechanical assembly works continue. The forecast is that every two months, on average, a new turbine will be started, with full operations being achieved until 2019.
“Belo Monte will have an installed capacity of 11,233.1 MW, from which 11,000 MW in the main powerhouse and 233.1 MW in the secondary powerhouse. The plant will generate power for the distribution companies that bought energy in the 2010 auction, thus serving around 60 million people in 17 states of Brazil”, says the Norte Energia statement.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani