Caruachi hydropower plant
| Caruachi hydropower plant | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Coordinates | 8 ° 9 '36 " N , 62 ° 47' 55" W | ||||||
| Data on the structure | |||||||
| Construction time: | 1998-2006 | ||||||
| Height above foundation level : | 55 m | ||||||
| Building volume: | 11,000 million m³ | ||||||
| Crown length: | 5728 m | ||||||
| Power plant output: | 2,160 MW | ||||||
| Data on the reservoir | |||||||
| Altitude (at congestion destination ) | 91.25 m above sea level | ||||||
| Water surface | 238 km² | ||||||
| Storage space | 3,520 million m³ | ||||||
| Design flood : | 30,000 m³ / s | ||||||
The Caruachi hydropower plant, officially called Central Hidroeléctrica Francisco de Miranda en Caruachi , is located on the Río Caroní in the Venezuelan state of Bolivar . The plant is located about 59 kilometers downstream of the Guri reservoir and hydroelectric power station (Central Hydroelectric Simón Bolívar) and about 35 kilometers upstream from the point where the Caroni flows into the Orinoco at Ciudad Guayana .
power plant
The first of the twelve 180 MW Kaplan turbines supplied by General Electric began commercial operations in April 2003; the 12th and last machine unit went into service on February 28, 2006. The power plant went into full operation on March 31, 2006 when it was officially inaugurated by the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez .
The total installed capacity is 2160 MW, with which the power plant produces around 12,000 GWh of energy annually. The height of fall of the water in the power plant during normal operation is 91 m.
This project forms a complex with the Central Hidroeléctrica Simón Bolívar in Guri, Antonio José de Sucre in Macagua and Tocoma (under construction), together one of the largest hydropower complexes in the world. The operator EDELCA (Electrificación del Caroní CA) says the overall complex will save 750,000 barrels of oil a day, compared to the current 300,000.
Participating companies
The companies Kvaerner (Norway), General Electric (USA) and VA Tech Elin Transformatoren (Austria) were involved in the project. The main work began in 1998.
The ABB company built the power transmission lines. They consist of a 400 kV station and four 400 kV lines that connect the power plant to the grid.
Buildings
The main barrier structure is a 360 m long gravity dam with a maximum height of 55 m, measured from the foundation base. An intake structure and the power house are integrated into it. On the right-hand side there is a 900 m long up to 50 m high rock embankment dam , which has a concrete slab as a seal. On the left is a 4200 m long and up to 45 m high dam made of earth and stone rubble.
The flood discharge has nine openings and circular closures with a total discharge capacity of 30,000 m³ / s. The power house is 470 m long and integrated in the main structure. The 12 generator units take up 360 m of this. A 50 m wide intermediate piece between the power house and the flood relief is of the pillar dam type .
See also
- List of the largest dams on earth
- List of the largest reservoirs on earth
- List of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world
- List of power plants in Venezuela
- List of dams in the world (Venezuela)
Footnotes
- ↑ official website of EDELCA and the Caruachi project ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Venezuela’s Caruachi Hydro Plant Inaugurated . Power Engineering International. 2006. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ↑ Caruachi Hydroelectric Power Plant, Venezuela, on the Power Industry website , 2007.
