RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION EFFECTS ON HYDROPOWER GENERATION - A CASE STUDY

摘要

The analysis of the existing hydroelectric power plants in Brazil shows that, in manyrncases, the sedimentological studies didn’t reach the adequate extension or weren’t evenrnmade. This procedure can be partially explained by the fact that 80% of the 53000 MWrninstalled in hydroelectrics by 1991, including the total capacity of Itaipu, are concentratedrnin almost 20 power plants, the reservoirs volumes of which are bigger than 1000 hm~3.rnWith the perspective of building power plants with smaller reservoirs, the sedimentationrnproblems must increase. In this paper the case of the Mascarenhas power plant, in thernDoce river, ES, operating since 1974, is being analysed. The project of sedimentologicalrnstudies of the reservoir was not included. It’s shown that the problems which occurrnnowadays could have been forecasted during the project study, if data and technologyrnavailable on that occasion had been used. The results show the importance of makingrnsedimentological studies before the dam construction.