The Marimbondo Dam is an embankment dam on the Grande River near Fronteira in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The dam serves an associated hydroelectric power plant with a 1,440 megawatts (1,930,000 hp) installed capacity.[1]

Marimbondo Dam
Marimbondo Dam is located in Brazil
Marimbondo Dam
Location of Marimbondo Dam in Brazil
Official nameUsina de Marimbondo
LocationFronteira, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Coordinates20°18′14″S 49°11′52″W / 20.30389°S 49.19778°W / -20.30389; -49.19778
Construction began1971
Opening date1975
Operator(s)Eletrobrás Furnas
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment
ImpoundsGrande River
Height94 m (308 ft)
Length3,100 m (10,200 ft)
Width (crest)10 m (33 ft)
Dam volume14.4×10^6 m3 (510×10^6 cu ft)
Spillway typeService, gate-controlled
Spillway capacity21,400 m3/s (760,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesMarimbondo Reservoir
Total capacity6,150×10^6 m3 (4,990,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area438 km2 (169 sq mi)
Power Station
Commission date1975-1977
TypeConventional
Turbines8 x 180 MW (240,000 hp) Francis-type
Installed capacity1,440 MW (1,930,000 hp)

Background

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Owned and maintained by Eletrobrás Furnas, the dam was their fourth power plant constructed. Construction began in 1971 and was complete in 1975 when the first generator went online. The last of the eight generators went online in January 1977.[2]

Specifications

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The Marimbondo Dam is a 3,100 metres (10,200 ft) long and 94 metres (308 ft) high earth-fill embankment dam with a concrete spillway and power house section. The total structural volume of materials for the dam is 14,400,000 cubic metres (510,000,000 cu ft). The dam's spillway contains nine floodgates that are 15 metres (49 ft) wide and 18.85 metres (61.8 ft) high each. In total, the spillway has a 21,400 cubic metres per second (760,000 cu ft/s) discharge capacity.

Reservoir

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The reservoir created by the dam has a surface area of 438 square kilometres (169 sq mi) and capacity of 6,150 million cubic metres (217×10^9 cu ft) with 5,260 million cubic metres (186×10^9 cu ft) serving as live (active or "useful") storage. The normal reservoir level is 446.3 metres (1,464 ft) above sea level and the maximum is 447.36 metres (1,467.7 ft).

Marimbondo Hydroelectric Power Plant

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Marimbondo Hydroelectric Power Plant is 25.3 metres (83 ft) wide and 250.2 metres (821 ft) long and contains eight 180 megawatts (240,000 hp) generators that are powered by Francis turbines.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hydroelectric Plants in Brazil - Minas Gerais". IndustCards. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Hydroelectric Plant Marimbondo (1,440 MW)" (in Portuguese). Eletrobras Furnas. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2010.