| Engineer Sérgio Motta (Porto Primavera) Dam | |
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NASA image of dam before (1987) and after (2000) completion. |
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| Official name | Sérgio Motta Hydroelectric Power Plant |
| Location | Rosana, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction began | 1980 |
| Opening date | 1999 |
| Construction cost | $9 billion USD |
| Owner(s) | CESP |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, concrete portion |
| Height | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Length | 11,380 m (37,340 ft) |
| Impounds | Paraná River |
| Type of spillway | Service, gate-controlled |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Sérgio Motta Reservoir |
| Capacity | 19.9 km3 (4.8 cu mi)[1] |
| Surface area | 2,250 km2 (870 sq mi) |
| Power station | |
| Commission date | 1999–2003 |
| Type | Yes |
| Turbines | 14 x 110 MW Kaplan turbines |
| Installed capacity | 1,540 MW |
The Engineer Sérgio Motta Dam, formerly known as the Porto Primavera Dam, is an embankment dam on the Paraná River near Rosana in São Paulo, Brazil. It was constructed between 1980 and 1999 for hydroelectric power production, flood control and navigation. The dam is named for Sergio Roberto Vieira da Motta, a prominent industrial engineer in São Paulo. At 11.380 km (7.071 mi) in length, it is the longest dam in Brazil.[2][3]
The 22 m (72 ft) tall dam creates a reservoir with a 19.9 km3 (4.8 cu mi) capacity and surface area of 2,250 km2 (870 sq mi).
The dam supports hydroelectric power plant on its southern end with an installed capacity of 1,540 MW. The power plant contains 14 x 110 MW Kaplan turbine generators. Construction on the dam began in 1980 and the first filling of the reservoir to 253 m (830 ft) above sea level was complete by 1998. It was inaugurated in 1999 with the first three generators commissioned in March. In 2000, five more generators came online and by 2001, a total of ten were in operation. The second filling to 257 m (843 ft) above sea level was complete in March 2001 and by October 2003, all 14 generators were in operation.[4][5] Although there are no plans to install them, the power plant has room to accommodate an additional four generators.[3] The dam also supports a 210 m (690 ft) long and 17 m (56 ft) wide navigation lock on its southern end with the ability to transport 27 million tons a year.[6]
In 2005, an infestation of Hydrilla verticillata was discovered in the reservoir, the first time the invasive weed was discovered in Brazil. The dam has also had negative effects on downstream fish reproduction[7] and has a 520 m (1,710 ft) long fish ladder.[8]