Simplício / Anta Plant


Simplício hydroelectric plant (Credit: José Glauber)


The Simplício Hydroelectric Plant, built on the Paraíba do Sul River, on the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, started operating in June 2013 after three months of synchronization tests on the three generator units to ensure that the turbines’ automated features, protections and mechanisms complied with the Brazilian electricity industry standards. The plant has an installed capacity of 305.7 MW. The plant’s main reservoir and hydraulic circuit - a set of channels, tunnels and reservoirs that extends for 30 km between the Anta dam and the Simplício Plant - took 30 days to fill, between the months of February and March.

Because the hydraulic circuit takes advantage of the 115-meter drop in local topography to guarantee the plant’s installed power, the facility only has a 0.05 km²/MW ratio between flooded area and power, one of the lowest in the world.

The Simplício Hydroelectric Development (HED Simplício) also has two small 14 MW generators located at the Anta dam, in the district of Sapucaia (RJ), to take advantage of the mandatory sanitary flow along the original riverbed of the Paraíba do Sul river, at the section where the hydraulic circuit deviates. Two generator units takes the installed capacity to 333.7 MW, enough to supply a city of 800 thousand inhabitants.


Anta hydroelectric plant (Credit: FURNAS)


The total area expropriated at the Simplício Plant represents approximately 2,900 hectares, including flooded areas and the permanent preservation area (PPA). About 140 families were relocated in the state of Rio de Janeiro and 60 in the state of Minas Gerais. The project's land program included construction of a new neighborhood 21, covering 18.1 thousand m² and including a water supply system, a sewage network and the refurbishment and expansion of a municipal school in Três Rios (RJ).


Technical Data


Simplício Dam


Water intake

  • Type: gravity
  • Height: 31.65 m
  • Total Length: 39.70 m


Powerhouse

  • Type: sheltered
  • Generator units: 3
  • Width: 39.5 m
  • Length: 90 m


Turbines

  • Type: Francis
  • Quantity: 3
  • Unitary rated capacity: 101.9 MW
  • Unitary flow capacity: 110.5 m³
  • Synchronized rotation: 225 RPM
  • Maximum yield: 95.7%


Generator

  • Unitary rated capacity: 113.33 MVA
  • Rated voltage: 13.8 KV
  • Nominal rotation: 225 RPM
  • Power factor: 0.9
  • Maximum yield: 98.4 %


Anta Dam


Spillway gates

  • Type: radial
  • Drive system: hydraulic cylinder
  • Width: 14.96 m
  • Height: 18.51 m


Water intake

  • Type: gravity
  • Height: 28.60 m
  • Total Length: 13.22 m


Turbines

  • Kaplan-type
  • Quantity: 2
  • Unitary rated capacity: 14 MW
  • Unitary flow capacity: 101.42 m³/s
  • Synchronized rotation: 163.6 RPM
  • Maximum yield: 92.9 %


Generator

  • Unitary rated capacity: 16 MVA
  • Rated voltage: 13.8 kV
  • Nominal rotation: 163.6 RPM
  • Power factor: 0.9
  • Maximum yield: 97.19 %
  • Rotor diameter: 5.572 m