News

Intertechne, a consultative engineering company, in collaboration with CTG Brasil – China Three Gorges Corporation (owner of the plant concession), GE and SEPCO-1, is responsible for the largest hydroelectric plants´s dam modernization project in the country, at Ilha Solteira and Jupiá HPPs.

Inaugurated in the late 60s and early 70s, Jupiá HPPs with installed capacity of 1,551 MW and Ilha Solteira with installed capacity of 3,444 MW, both located on the Paraná River, are undergoing renovations and equipment changes, due to the its operating time. According to Paulo Akashi, director of business development at Intertechne, the objective of the modernization project is to bring more efficiency in energy production. The activities in the so-called Lot 2 started in May 2018.

“We are developing the entire project for the Electrical Installations, Fire Hydrant Systems, Protection System, Hydromechanics, as well as all the integration, physical interface and electrical interconnections of the generating units and electromechanical auxiliary services belonging to Lot 2 of this modernization plan. We can also highlight the Field Assistance services for both plants and all material management work (cables, cable routes, lighting) up to the connection design on the final equipment. More than 200 km of cables”, emphasizes Paulo.

A project of this size and complexity presents several challenges, among which: not interrupting the operation of the generating units, or minimizing the downtime of the generating units in modernization and integrating companies from different countries and cultures. “Capturing reality on a job, in operation for 40 years, to integrate with the new projects and still meet the safety requirements to work on a job that is operating at full speed is not an easy task”, points out José Pinheiro, Intertechne´s director of water and energy. Also according to Pinheiro, this project contributed so that Intertechne could further explore the opportunities related to the modernization of plants.