Iberdrola has announced the 1800MW Teles Pires hydropower plant in the Amazon Forest in Brazil is now fully operational, with the company having completed the project in a record time of 40 months.
The €1.1 billion project is located on the border of the states of Pará and Mato Grosso, on the River Teles Pires, which is a tributary of the River Tapajós, close to the towns of Jacareacanga and Paranaíta. It was developed by a consortium formed by Iberdrola holding Neoenergia (50.1%), Furnas (24.5%), Eletrosul (24.5%) and Odebrecht (0.9%).
The project features five 364MW turbines and an 80m high dam with a water surface area of 135.6km² and flooding area of 95km².
In a statement, Iberdrola said it had carried out over 40 social and environmental initiatives along with the project, benefiting the indigenous communities in the area in particular. The initiative included avant-garde environmental projects: for example, an innovative system to minimise water consumption and a design that blends in completely with the Amazon jungle.
