Coca Codo Sinclair
| Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power station | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| location | ||
|
||
| Coordinates | 0 ° 8 ′ 4 " S , 77 ° 27 ′ 18" W | |
| country | Ecuador | |
| Waters | Río Quijos ( Río Coca ) | |
| Kilometers of water | km 96 | |
| Height upstream | 1240 m | |
| power plant | ||
| owner | Cocasinclair EP | |
| construction time | from 2012 | |
| Start of operation | November 2016 | |
| technology | ||
| Average height of fall |
620 m | |
| Expansion flow | 278 m³ / s | |
| Standard work capacity | 8.63 million kWh / year | |
| Turbines | 8 Pelton turbines of 187.5 MW each | |
| Others | ||
The Coca Codo Sinclair hydropower plant is located in the Napo province in Ecuador , about 150 km east of the capital Quito . The power plant is located on the Río Quijos (upper and middle reaches of the Río Coca ) 96 km above its confluence with the Río Napo . The power station is operated by the state-owned electricity company Celec .
investment
The water of the Río Quijos is dammed about one kilometer below the confluence of the Río Salado by a weir ( ⊙ ) at river kilometer 157. The associated flood relief is for 7500 m³ / s. designed. Below the weir, the water enters a 120 m long sedimentation basin. From this part of the river water is diverted. This is fed to the equalization basin ( ⊙ ) via a 24.8 km long tunnel (9.1 m Ø) . This has a usable storage volume of 800,000 m³. From here the water is fed to the turbines of the cavern power station via two 1900 m long pressure tunnels . The underground power station measures 26 m × 50 m × 192 m. It houses eight Pelton turbines of 187.5 MW each. Another underground hall (16.5 m × 33 m × 192 m) houses 24 transformers ( single-phase transformers ) of 68.3 MVA each and a 500 kV substation . The height of fall is 620 m. The expansion water volume is 278 m³ / s. Below the power plant, the water returns to the river via a drainage channel. The power plant is connected to the national power grid of Ecuador.
Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap
Environmental impact
Due to the operation of the hydropower plant, the river carries only a small amount of water over a length of around 61 kilometers. This also affects the 131 m high Cascada de San Rafael waterfall . In addition, an access road was created as part of the project, which led to the deforestation of large areas within the UNESCO Sumaco Biosphere Reserve .
history
On November 18, 2016, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping opened the facility in a video conference. At that time, it had an installed capacity of 1,040 MW. The power plant is designed for an output of 1,500 megawatts. It should cover 30 percent of the country's electricity needs. The total cost is estimated at $ 2.2 billion. The major Chinese bank Eximbank , which is providing 1.68 billion US dollars , acts as the lender . Ecuador provided just under 300 million US dollars at the start of construction.
On December 13, 2014, there was an accident with 13 deaths, including ten Ecuadorians and three Chinese. Twelve other people were injured, according to a report by the state broadcaster. Accordingly, the accident was triggered by the collapse of a tunnel in the engine room.
In November 2018, the Ecuadorian Audit Office published a report, according to which the power plant had more than 7,500 cracks in the water distributors. They were discovered in 2015, but were repaired with building materials that did not meet contractually agreed international standards.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Nicole Anliker: A gigantic hydropower plant financed by China covers 30% of the energy needs in Ecuador. But the supposed showcase building is an overpriced project of inferior quality. In: www.nzz.ch. May 3, 2019, accessed May 3, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Project . www.power-technolocy.com. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ↑ Ecuador - China: The country's largest hydropower plant opened , accessed on November 19, 2016
- ↑ Albert Köstler: With hydropower for energetic independence. amerika21.de, January 24, 2011, accessed December 14, 2014 .
- ↑ Accident on a power plant construction site in Ecuador - 13 dead. www.orf.at, December 14, 2014, accessed on December 14, 2014 .