Located 600km north of Rio de Janeiro, the US$360.4M project was developed and will be operated by a consortium of firms Neoenergia, Furnas and Cemig. Voith Hydro supplied the complete electro-mechanical equipment for the project, including four bulb turbines that were completely manufactured in Brazil. The first unit was commissioned in September, three months ahead of schedule, with the remaining units expected to be synchronised to the grid one unit a month over the next three months.
Baguari is the first hydro power scheme to be commissioned under Brazil’s national Growth Acceleration Program (PAC). With this initiative, the government expects to increase the country’s gross domestic product up to 5% until 2010.