Alstom completes first generation unit of Foz do Chapecó Hydro power plant

Alstom, as part of an EPC* consortium with Camargo Correa and CNEC Worley Parsons, announce the start-up of the first 214 MW unit of the Foz do Chapecó hydro power plant, located on the Uruguay river between the cities of Águas do Chapecó (SC) and Alpestre (RS) in Brazil. The plant began commercial operation on 11October.

The project began in March 2007 with the signing of a R$ 650 million contract for the production, delivery and assembly supervision of the plants four 213.75 MW generator units. Alstom is responsible for all plant equipment including turbines, generators, hydromechanical equipment, transformers, voltage elevators, plant control and protection systems, and all auxiliary mechanical and electrical systems.

When completed in February 2011, only three and a half years after work began, the plant will have an installed capacity of 855 MW and, on average, 432 MW of assured energy enough to supply 25% of all power needs in the state of Santa Catarina or around 18% in Rio Grande do Sul. The plant features the third largest Francis turbine in Brazil in terms of size (after Itaipu and Tucurui).

The successful, on-time completion of the the first unit at Foz do Chapecó has been achieved thanks to the professionalism of Alstoms execution team, said Marcos Costa, Vice-President of Power for Alstom Brazil and Latin America. We are committed to the development of the Brazilian energy system, and constantly invest to participate in projects of this kind. Alstom has supplied 35% of Brazils energy equipment and systems and looks forward to increasing this share moving forward.

The scale of the Foz do Chapecó project is immense. Over 15 thousand tonnes of carbon steel plates, the equivalent to one and a half Eiffel Towers, have been used so far, as well as 250 kilometers of power cables for the interconnection of equipment at the worksite. Over 510,000 hours have been spent at Alstoms Taubaté plant for the production of the equipment and 120,000 hours of engineering.

All equipment for the project is being manufactured at Taubaté, which, along with the Tianjin unit in China, represent the largest Alstom Hydro manufacturing plants in the world. Taubaté produces a wide range of products, such as turbines of all sizes, generators for several applications, hydromechanical equipment and small hydroelectric plants. With this project and others under execution, Alstom is a key local employer.

*Engineering, Procurement and Construction

About Alstom Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 96,500 people in more than 70 countries, and had sales of over 23 billion* in 2009/10. *Pro forma figures

In Brazil, Alstom has been present in Brazil for 55 years and has 5,000 direct employees working in seven units installed in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Rondônia. In 2011 the company will open its 8th unit in the country, in the state of Bahia.

PRESS INFORMATION

Communication Director for Alstom Brazil: Juliana Souza
juliana.souza@crn.alstom.com  
Tel.: (11) 3612 7071