An international consortium led by Alstom has won a €500 million order from Norte Energia of Brazil for the supply of key equipment for the 11 230 MW Belo Monte hydropower scheme.
Alstom, Andritz and Voith will together supply 14 Francis turbine generator sets and six bulb units for the power plant, which will be the third largest hydropower facility in the world when completed in 2019.
The $10 billion project on the Xingu River in Brazil’s Para state is strongly opposed by environmental groups such as Amazon Watch because of the social and environmental impact that the dam will have.
Austria-based Andritz says that its portion of the order is worth €300 million and includes three 611 MW Francis turbines and generators and six bulb turbines and generators. Alstom will supply seven Francis units, hydromechanical equipment and associated gas-insulated substations for the fourteen large-scale units.
First electricity from Belo Monte is expected in 2014. Amazon Watch says that up to 80 per cent of the Xingu River will be diverted from its course in order to feed the Belo Monte power house and that the project will force more than 20 000 people from their homes.
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