The Madeira complex in the Amazon region is comprised of two hydroelectric power plants - Santo Antonio and Jirau – and has a total power capacity of 6300MW. Power from the project will be transmitted through two HVDC bipoles from the northwest to the southeast of Brazil, allowing the integration to the SIN (National Interconnected System) and the utilization of the energy throughout Brazil. IE Madeira is responsible for 1 of the bipoles, with supply from Areva.
The bipole and its two converter stations will transform AC to DC with the capacity to transfer 3150MW from the Porto Velho (Rondonia) collector substation in the Amazon region, to the Araraquara II substation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where it is converted back to AC.
Areva’s contract includes all the equipment, engineering, erection supervision, pre-commissioning and commissioning for the convertor stations, which will be delivered for commercial operation in April 2013.
