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ANDE announces plans to overhaul 200-MW Acaray hydroelectric plant in Paraguay

ANDE (Administracion Nacional de Electricidad), the state power company of Paraguay, has announced it is moving forward with plans for rehabilitation and modernization of its 200-MW Acaray hydroelectric plant.
ANDE announces plans to overhaul 200-MW Acaray hydroelectric plant in Paraguay

ANDE (Administracion Nacional de Electricidad), the state power company of Paraguay, has announced it is moving forward with plans for rehabilitation and modernization of its 200-MW Acaray hydroelectric plant.

According to BNamericas, consultations with stakeholders are under way and ANDE has received results of a study carried out by Manitoba Hydro International. The study was called Study of the Integral Diagnosis of the Equipment and Infrastructure, of the Potential of Increase of the Capacity of Generation and Development of a Strategic Plan of the Hydroelectric Power Plant Acaray.

Acaray is the only hydro project ANDE owns and contains four turbine-generator units, two of which began operating in 1968 and two in 1977. (Separately the powerhouses are called Acaray 1, 90 MW, and Acaray 2, 110 MW.) It is located on the Acaray River. ANDE says Acaray was the first hydro plant to be built in the country and is close to commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the start of its operations.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) may provide US$100 million to finance the project. IDB said that when one of the units at Acaray stops operating, electricity from the 14-GW Itaipu or 3.2-GW Yacyreta hydro facilities must be substituted. Itaipu is on the Parana River between Brazil and Paraguay and Yacyreta is on the Parana River between Argentina and Paraguay.

In addition to overhauling the existing equipment, ANDE plans to add a third powerhouse that will contain two 37.5-MW turbine-generator units.