| Machadinho Dam | |
| Name Official: | Machadinho Hydroelectric Power Plant |
| Dam Crosses: | Pelotas River |
| Location: | Machadinho, Santa Catarina/Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Dam Type: | Embankment, concrete face rock-fill |
| Dam Length: | 700m (2,300feet) |
| Dam Height: | 126m (413feet) |
| Spillway Type: | Service, controlled |
| Spillway Capacity: | 35703m3/s |
| Construction Began: | March 2, 1998 |
| Opening: | 2002 |
| Cost: | $1.4 billion USD |
| Owner: | Machadinho Energetica |
| Res Name: | Itá Reservoir |
| Res Capacity Total: | 3300e6m3 |
| Res Catchment: | 32500km2 |
| Res Surface: | 79km2 |
| Plant Type: | C |
| Plant Turbines: | 3 x 380MW Francis turbines |
| Plant Capacity: | 1140MW |
| Plant Commission: | 2002 |
| Location Map: | Brazil |
| Coordinates: | -27.5253°N -51.7853°W |
| Website: | Machadinho Energetica |
The Machadinho Hydroelectric Power Plant is a dam and hydroelectric power plant on the Pelotas River near Machadinho on the border of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The power station has a 1140MW capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill embankment dam. It is owned and operated by Machadinho Energetica and produces the equivalent of 37% of the energy consumed in Santa Catarina.[1]
Since 1966 and 1981, a series of studies were carried out on the Machadinho Dam and by 1982 a design was submitted and approved. The plant was slated to being commercial operations in 1993 but the project was delayed because of environmental concerns. The designers reevaluated the project and moved the dam's location further upstream on the river. After a new series of studies and new design were submitted, the project was approved in 1995. The design was prepared by Coyne et Bellier.[2] Construction began on March 2, 1998 and by October 26, 1999, the river diversion was complete. By August 28, 2001, the dam was near completion and it began to impound the Pelotas River. On February 16, 2002, the first generator began to operate and by August 31, 2002 the dam was completed.[3]
The Machadinho Dam is a 700m (2,300feet) long and 126m (413feet) high concrete face rock-fill embankment dam with a crest elevation of above sea level. The dam's reservoir has a capacity of 3300e6m3, a surface area of and a catchment area of . The dam supports a spillway with eight floodgates measuring wide and tall with maximum capacity of .[3] [4]
The above ground power station is long and wide and contains three 136 ton, generators powered by Francis turbines. The first generator was commissioned February 16, 2002, the second on April 30 and the final on December 7 of that same year.[3]