Biggest power plant on the Earth ITAIPU Largest

Biggest power plant on the Earth ITAIPU- Largest power plant on the Earth 12600 MW of Hydro power

Transmission system

Total view of the ITAIPU power plant Left part shows overflow (spillway), the power station is located in the middle. At the bottom of the 196 m tall dam, the white tubes are containing the inlets for the 18 turbines (715 MW each).

On top of the 7. 6 km dam, a 12 800 000 m³ of concrete was used for the project ITAIPU.

The lake created by ITAPU dam. Its area reaches 1 350 km 2, its length 170 km and its average width 7 km.

One 715 MW electrical generator The diameter of the rotor is almost 16 m, the rotating mass is 2650 T

Inside the ITAIPU Powerhouse Dimensions: length: 986 m, maximum height: 112 m and width: 99 m. The red line on the floor indicates the border of Brazil and Paraguay.

The control center of the 18 generators Left half of it (in Brazil) controls the 60 Hz units, Right half (in Paraguay) controls the 50 Hz units.

A 18 k. V to 525 k. V transformer To increase the voltage of the generators, transformers with a capacity of 825 MVA and 768 MVA (for 50 and 60 Hz respectively) were specified.

Power switches for high voltages Power switches at the "Left Bank Substation" (FURNAS).

The AC-DC rectifier The FURNAS rectifier substation is accomplished by four lines of of 500 k. V. Output DC voltages are symmetrical ± 500 000 Volt SC.

Electricity (AC) leaving ITAPU to Sao Paulo 6 300 MW of electrical power generated by the 60 Hz units is transported by an 891 km AC transmission system, formed by three lines of 750 k. V.

"Peanuts"- a word often used from so called "economic experts" and representatives when it comes to Renewable Energies. "Not sufficient", "unreliable", "not feasible", are common bias. ITAIPU shows they are wrong! Having more power than 10 nuclear power stations it supplies the second largest city on the planet with zero-emission electricity since 1984, still being extended until 1991. 26% of the electrical power consumption of Brazil and 78% of Paraguay are supplied by ITAIPU. Located at the Brazilian-Paraguaian border and not far from the Argentinian border, the first step of the initiation was already in 1966 when the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Brazil and Paraguay signed a joint statement known as the "Act of Ygazu". By this a study and evaluation of the hydraulic resources of the Parana river (owned jointly by Brazil and Paraguay) followed. On April, 26, 1973, the two governments of the states signed a treaty "for the development of the hydroelectric resources of the Parana River" and founded "ITAIPU Binacional" (cooperation with the legal, administrative and financial capacities and technical responsibility to plan, set up and operate the plant) in May, 17, 1974. The construction work started in 1975, reaching its peak in 1978 with 30 000 people at work. Monthly on-site concrete production reached 338 000 m³. In total, 15 times the mass of concrete used for the "Eurotunnel" was supplied. The height of the dam reaches 196 m, its length 7. 76 km. The lake created by this is 170 km long and contains 29 billion tons of water.

"Peanuts"- a word often used from so called "economic experts" and representatives when it comes to Renewable Energies. "Not sufficient", "unreliable", "not feasible", are common bias. Unit 1 started to operate in December 1983. Electrical grid connection to Paraguay was established in March 1984, Brazil was connected 5 months later. In March 1991 the last unit (No. 18) was put into operation. The water intake of one single 715 MW Francis-turbine is 700 m³/s, its weighted efficiency is 93. 8%. Each year ITAPU generates 75 TWh of electricity and avoids 67. 5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions - compared to coal power plants. The final cost of ITAIPU amounts to US$ 20 billion, 50% of this value are direct investments and balance financial charges. If whole area of the lake - at nominal level - would be covered by solar modules the power of the would be 135 000 MWp, which would produce 230 TWh a year. For the same yearly output as ITAIPU a solar PV-plant would cost US$ 132 billion

TECHNICAL DATA

Powerhouse (18 units including erection bays) - (m) Length 968 Width 99 Height 112 Roof level 148 Generator hall floor level 108 Spacing between units 34 01 - El 40 - Foundation of the dam 02 - El 92, 4 - Access to turbine pit 03 - El 98, 5 - Unit auxiliary service - Pure water system 04 - El 98, 5 - Excitation system, access to generator housing and speed governo 05 - El 108 - Step-up transformers 06 - El 108 - Generator hall floor and local control rooms 07 - El 122 - Ventilation system 08 - El 127, 6 - Cable gallery 09 - El 128, 2 - GIS - SF 6 10 - El 133, 2 - Principal panels of AC auxiliary service and diesel generator hall 11 - El 144 - Dam auxiliary service 12 - El 214 - Gate hydraulic pump group

Rolling track of gantry crane Rolling track (m) Span 10, 00 Total length 857, 6 Rail-top elevation 225 Penstocks Quantity Weight each penstock (t) 18 883 Internal diameter (m) 10, 5 Developed length (m) 142, 2 Rated flow (m³ / s) 690 Water Intake Trash racks Quantity Rack panels per intake 18 24 (m) 4, 7 x 5, 5 Trash rack Cleaning Machine Quantity 2 Jib crane capacity (k. N) 200 Vertical lift of rake (m) 61, 5 Rake capacity (m³ / k. N)

Service Gates (Fixed wheel type) Quantity 18 Span (m) 8, 2 Total height (m) Sill beam elevation (m) Maximum flow through gate (m³/s) 19, 3 177, 6 750 Stop-logs Sill beam elevation (m) Span (m) Height (m) Quantity 177, 2 7, 5 17, 5 7 Gantry cranes Quantity Capacity (k. N) 2 1. 100/400 Max. hoisting speed 50/60 Hz (m/min. ) 4, 6/5, 5 Min. hoisting speed 50/60 Hz (m/min. ) 1, 7/2, 0 Rated travel speed 50/60 Hz (m/min. ) 25/30

Generator Quantity Frequency Rated power Rated voltage (k. V) Number of poles Moment of inertia - GD 2 (t. m²) Power factor Heaviest component - rotor (t) Weight of each unit 50 / 60 Hz (t) 18 60 Hz (9 un. ) / 50 Hz (9 un. ) 50 / 60 Hz (MVA) 823, 6 / 737, 0 18 50 / 60 Hz 66 / 78 320. 000 50 / 60 Hz 0, 85 / 0, 95 1. 760 3. 343 / 3. 242

Turbine Quantity Type Rated power (MW) Design speed - 50 / 60 Hz (rpm) Net design head (m) 18 Francis 715 90, 9 /92, 3 118, 4 Rated flow (m³/s) 645 Heaviest component - rotor (t) 296 Weight of each unit (t) 3. 360

Bank of Single-Phase Transformers 50 Hz 9 + 2 Reserve Units 60 Hz 9 + 2 Reserve Units Rated Power of Each Bank 50 / 60 Hz (MVA) 825/768 Impulse Level (Phase/Neutral) High Voltage (k. V) 1. 550/110 Low Voltage (k. V) 125 Type of connection - Y Weight of each transformer (kg) 217 x 103 (50 Hz) 189 x 103 (60 Hz) Cooling forced oil and water

SF 6 Gas Insulated Substation Maximum Rated Voltage (k. V) 550 Rated Current (A) 4. 000 Rated Break Current (k. A) 63 Quantity of Circuit Breakers 52 Length of Enclosed Busbars Isolated by SF 6 Gas (m) 7. 500 SF 6 Pressure in the Circuit Breakers (k. Pa) 620 Quantity of Isolation Switches 124 Quantity of Current Transformers 396 Quantity of Potential Transformers 24 Quantity of Surge Arresters Mass of SF 6 Gas (kg) 126 108 x 103

SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition The SCADA System, is a means of supervision and control based on computers. The general purpose of this System is to provide the Plant Operators with detailed and automatic information in a centralized form - at present being distributed over more that 1, 500 panels in the diverse galleries along the length of the power plant - and organized in real time (that is, at the instant of occurrence) concerning the electrical, mechanical, thermal and hydraulic conditions of the equipment and the installations. This will permit the operators in the Central Control Room to exercise a permanent analysis of the situation and facilitate taking the correct and appropriate decisions within the time limits necessary to maintain the generation of energy. Its operation is based on the installation of electronic devices in the diverse units of equipment in the Power Plant (generators, turbines, transformers, etc. ) for the automatic acquisition of operational information. This information will be transferred to a central computer, where it will be processed by specific software. When the software identifies abnormal conditions, the Operators will be instantly informed by signals on the computer monitors. The required corrective actions or commands can be taken through these same computers. The SCADA System is scheduled to be installed by the middle of 2002 and will provide the Operators with supervision over approximately 18, 000 points, significantly improving the operating conditions of the Plant and permitting, in many cases, the prevention of disconnections, as well as allowing greater speed of recovery from the operational problems that may occur.