Turbine No. 3 of the 1,551 MW Jupiá hydropower plant, operated by CTG Brasil, has undergone a modernization check and went into operation recently.

Generators, water turbines and other vital parts were carefully examined, ensuring safe operation for the next 30 years, CTG Brasil said.

The Jupiá plant, on the Parana River, began operating in 1969. It contains 14 vertical Kaplan turbine-generating units and two 4.75 MW turbine-generator groups for auxiliary service.

The Jupiá hydropower plant, together with the 3,444 MW Ilha Solteira hydropower project, is the backbone power station for southeast Brazil’s grid. Together, the two plants contain 34 turbine-generator units, and the long-term safe and stable operation of the two projects plays a critical role in the power market in Brazil, according to a release.

CTG Brasil is a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corp. CTG Brasil won operating rights for both plants in a 2015 power auction. At that time, the company said it would make a US$3.6 billion investment into the pair of hydropower plants. Before that, they were owned by Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo (CESP).

Hydro Review reported in May 2017 that Voith Hydro was awarded the contract to supply four turbines as part of ongoing modernization efforts at the Jupiá and Ilha Solteira hydroelectric plants.