Coming: 12,600 megawatts at Itaipu Island
Abstract
This paper describes the hydroelectric plant being constructed jointly by Brazil and Paraguay on Itaipu Island in the Parana River. The planned generating capacity of 12,600 MW will make the Itaipu plant the world's largest. It will employ the most powerful hydrogenerators and turbines yet built, the world's largest concentration of 500-kilovolt gas-insulated switchgear, the highest dc transmission voltages and power--600 kV and 6300 MW--ever used, about 1000 kilometers of 765-kV ac transmission, and an extensive computer-based digital supervisory system in which continuous diagnostic evaluation of equipment is emphasized. To maintain national standards, nine generators will operate at 60 hertz for Brazil and nine at 50 hertz for Paraguay. Initially, any excess electricity available from the Paraguay generators will be routed to Brazil, but Paraguay is ultimately expected to share in half the Itaipu generation. The paper discusses the plant from its original feasibility studies to the newly created technologies which its size necessitated. The environmental impact on forests, farmlands and wildlife resulting from the construction of the Itaipu dam and the loss of the 1400 square kilometers which it flooded--including the popular Seven Waterfalls--is addressed. References to other papers as well as a symposium on the Itaipu project aremore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Itaipu Binacional International Engineering Co.
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5427054
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- IEEE Spectrum; (United States)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 20:8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 13 HYDRO ENERGY; BRAZIL; HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS; BILATERAL AGREEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; POWER RANGE 10-100 GW; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; PARAGUAY; COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS; CONSTRUCTION; COST; DAMS; ELECTRIC GENERATORS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HVAC SYSTEMS; HVDC SYSTEMS; HZ RANGE; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; KEV RANGE 100-1000; LOAD MANAGEMENT; RIVERS; TURBINES; WATER RESERVOIRS; AC SYSTEMS; AGREEMENTS; CONTROL SYSTEMS; COOPERATION; DC SYSTEMS; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; ENERGY RANGE; ENERGY SYSTEMS; FREQUENCY RANGE; INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS; KEV RANGE; LATIN AMERICA; MACHINERY; MANAGEMENT; POWER PLANTS; POWER SYSTEMS; SOUTH AMERICA; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; TURBOMACHINERY; 130300* - Hydro Energy- Plant Design & Operation
Citation Formats
de Moraes, J. Coming: 12,600 megawatts at Itaipu Island. United States: N. p., 1983.
Web. doi:10.1109/MSPEC.1983.6369963.
de Moraes, J. Coming: 12,600 megawatts at Itaipu Island. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/MSPEC.1983.6369963
de Moraes, J. 1983.
"Coming: 12,600 megawatts at Itaipu Island". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/MSPEC.1983.6369963.
@article{osti_5427054,
title = {Coming: 12,600 megawatts at Itaipu Island},
author = {de Moraes, J},
abstractNote = {This paper describes the hydroelectric plant being constructed jointly by Brazil and Paraguay on Itaipu Island in the Parana River. The planned generating capacity of 12,600 MW will make the Itaipu plant the world's largest. It will employ the most powerful hydrogenerators and turbines yet built, the world's largest concentration of 500-kilovolt gas-insulated switchgear, the highest dc transmission voltages and power--600 kV and 6300 MW--ever used, about 1000 kilometers of 765-kV ac transmission, and an extensive computer-based digital supervisory system in which continuous diagnostic evaluation of equipment is emphasized. To maintain national standards, nine generators will operate at 60 hertz for Brazil and nine at 50 hertz for Paraguay. Initially, any excess electricity available from the Paraguay generators will be routed to Brazil, but Paraguay is ultimately expected to share in half the Itaipu generation. The paper discusses the plant from its original feasibility studies to the newly created technologies which its size necessitated. The environmental impact on forests, farmlands and wildlife resulting from the construction of the Itaipu dam and the loss of the 1400 square kilometers which it flooded--including the popular Seven Waterfalls--is addressed. References to other papers as well as a symposium on the Itaipu project are cited.},
doi = {10.1109/MSPEC.1983.6369963},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5427054},
journal = {IEEE Spectrum; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 20:8,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983},
month = {Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983}
}