Belo Monte: a power plant comes out of the Amazon jungle

Project starts its final phase and writes a new chapter in the current history of the country, with the logistic integration of the Amazon jungle and the definition of a new point of dialogue with Indian nations

Located in the region of Altamira, in the state of Pará, in the heart of the Amazon jungle, the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant, in the Xingu River comes into its final phase of civil works.The filling of both Xingu reservoirs (main and intermediate)—carried out through water conduction through the Diversion Canal of Belo Monte Plant—was started in December 13 and finished in February 13. This operation concluded one of the most important milestones in the construction of a hydroelectric plant, particularly of Belo Monte Plant, that suffered so many comings and goings.

Works were ended 82 days after the liberation of the Operation License by Ibamain November 24, 2015. From this date on the contractor carried out the works of the cofferdam that separated Belo Monte Diversion Canal from the Xingu Reservoir, which was formed in the riverbed. This operation leveled the water of both reservoirs in the elevation 97 (meters above sea level), considered the operating level for power generation in the plant. After the removal of part of the cofferdam, the Xingu River is already connected to the Diversion Canal, 20 km long and 25 meters deep, 210 meters wide in the base and with 300 meters of average width between the banks. Concluded in November, 2015, this canal conducts the water to the Intermediate Reservoir, where is installed the main power house, that will generate 97 percent of the project’s power capacity.

In February 17 occurred the first mechanical turn of the Generating Unit number one of the main power house, located in theSítio Belo Monte. The Francis turbine has an individual capacity of 611.11 MW. “This is a remarkable moment that involves all technical areas of the plant. In less than a month we will be generating power commercially in both power houses of the project”, said the President of Norte Energia, DuilioDiniz de Figueiredo. This was the first dynamic test, developed to observe and adjust the operation of the first of the 18 turbines of the Main Power House, with total capacity of 11,000 MW.

Belo Monte had up to 37,500 people working simultaneously in all work fronts, considering workers of CCBM and subcontractors hired by theConsórcioConstrutoror by Norte Energia.One of the main challenges faced since the beginning of works was to ensure ideal conditions for the workers in the field. It is important to remember that the experiences in building the plants of Santo Antonio andJirau, along the Madeira River, in Porto Velho, state of Rondônia, andTelesPires Plant, in the same river but in the state ofMatoGrosso (the three projects were published in the GrandesConstruções magazine) were fundamental to consolidate the strategic actions carried out to maintain the urban settlements formed in those places.

This is currently the main project being carried out for power generation in Brazil. The plant of Belo Monte will have an installed capacity of 11,233.1 Kw and will be composed by 24 generating units, being 18 in the main power house, in theSítio Belo Monte and six in the complementary power house, located at theSítioPimental. There are two power houses, two reservoirs, one spillway and one Diversion Canal.

The damming of the Xingu River in thesitioPimental controls the discharge of the “Volta Grande do Xingu”, generating 233 MW of power and allowing the creation of a gap that will allow the excess of water to be directed through the Diversion Canalduring the rain period. This canal will transport up to 13.8 million liters per second to the Intermediate Reservoir. At the end of this reservoir was built the Main Power House located in thesítio Belo Monte, where 11,000 MW will be generated.In the main power house, 18 turbines will be installed to generate a total of 11,000 MW. In the complementary power house, six turbines will be installed to generate a total of 233.1 MW.