Biggest Electrical Power Plant on Earth

Biggest Electrical Power Plant on Earth is in Brazil/Paraguay

ITAIPU- Largest power plant on the Earth- 12600 MW of Hydropower

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 km², 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

Inside the ITAIPU Powerhouse
Dimensions: length: 986 m, maximum height: 112 m and width: 99m.

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 kV to 525 kV transformator for 825 MVA
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 kV.
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 kV.

"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.

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 MW _p, 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 and Main Dam

Location of the Equipment and Principal Elevations

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 - SF6
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	18
Weight each penstock (t)	883
Internal diameter (m)	10,5
Developed length (m)	142,2
Rated flow (m³ / s)	690

Water Intake Trashracks
Quantity	18
Rack panels per intake	24 (m) 4,7 x 5,5

Trashrack Cleaning Machine
Quantity	2
Jib crane capacity (kN)	200
Vertical lift of rake (m)	61,5
Rake capacity (m³ / kN)	2/2,5

Service Gates (Fixed wheel type)
Quantity	18
Span (m)	8,2
Total height (m)	19,3
Sill beam elevation (m)	177,6
Maximum flow through gate (m³/s)	750

Stop-logs
Sill beam elevation (m)	177,2
Span (m)	7,5
Height (m)	17,5
Quantity	7

Gantry cranes
Quantity	2
Capacity (kN)	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	18
Frequency	60 Hz (9 un.) / 50 Hz (9 un.)
Rated power	50 / 60 Hz (MVA) 823,6 / 737,0
Rated voltage (kV)	18
Number of poles	50 / 60 Hz 66 / 78
Moment of inertia - GD2 (t.m²)	320.000
Power factor	50 / 60 Hz 0,85 / 0,95
Heaviest component - rotor (t)	1.760
Weight of each unit 50 / 60 Hz (t)	3.343 / 3.242

 

Turbine
Quantity	18
Type	Francis
Rated power (MW)	715
Design speed - 50 / 60 Hz (rpm)	90,9 /92,3
Net design head (m)	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 (kV) 1.550/110

Low Voltage (kV) 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

SF6 Gas Insulated Substation
Maximum Rated Voltage (kV)	550
Rated Current (A)	4.000
Rated Break Current (kA)	63
Quantity of Circuit Breakers	52
Length of Enclosed Busbars Isolated by SF6 Gas (m)	7.500
SF6 Pressure in the Circuit Breakers (kPa)	620
Quantity of Isolation Switches	124
Quantity of Current Transformers	396
Quantity of Potential Transformers	24
Quantity of Surge Arresters	126
Mass of SF6 Gas (kg)	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.

 

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Transmission system