ASTEC
 

PAUTE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

Power: 1075 MW
Level of the Study: Final design
Location: Paute River - Prov. of Azuay
Date Consultancy began: March 1976
Date Consultancy ended: July 1983
Total Contract Amount: USD $12,435,354
Name of associated firms: Association IECO/ASTEC-ICA-INELIN
Customer: Ecuadorian Institute of Electrification (INECEL)
Description
The Paute hydroelectric power plant is in the province of Azuay, in central southern Ecuador, and operates with the waters of the Paute River. It is currently the country’s largest power plant, generating an installed capacity of 1075 MW, i.e., 32% of Ecuador’s total installed capacity.

ASTEC, en association with consulting firms IECO, ICA, and INLEIN, participated in preparing, reviewing and completing implementation of phases A, B, and C of stage I of this project. The work ASTEC did included:
  • Preparing and reviewing blueprints and detailed documents to construct each work and components;
  • Preparing construction budgets and programs;
  • Defining the power and energy from the Paute River project, with and without Mazar, including the Sopladora power plant, and determining the sequence of implementation by stages;
  • Optimizing the number and size of units to be installed in Phase C, considering the configuration and operation of the National Interconnected System;
  • Reviewing and optimizing the design and dimensions of works in Phase C of the Paute power plant.
  • Determining the characteristics of the Paute-Quito, Quito-Guayaquil and Guayaquil-Paute transmission lines and their corresponding substations;
  • Advising during construction of the System and Substations up to commissioning
  • Economic and financial project evaluation
Main Characteristics of the Project:
  • Dam: gravity-type concrete 170 m high and 420 m long at the crest, with a central spillway; concrete volume 1,180,000 m3
  • Bypass Tunnel: 12 m in diameter and 590 m long (2200 m3/s)
  • Loading Tunnel: 5 m in diameter and 6070 m long
  • Surge tank: Shaft 7 m in diameter and 170 m high
  • Penstock: 3.75 m in diameter, lined with steel pipe (25/45 mm)
  • Powerhouse: underground cavern 123 x 42 x 23 m
  • Maneuvering Yard: initial capacity of 750 MVA (FOA) with equipment isolated at SF6
  • Generators: 5 x 111/127.7 MVA
  • Turbines: 5 Pelton x 116 MW
  • Transmission system:

    •
    •  230 KV lines:
      • Milagro-Paute (160 km)
    • 138 KV lines:
      •  Santo Domingo-Esmeraldas (170 km)
      •  Quevedo-Portoviejo (120 km)
      •  Pascuales-Santa Elena (120 km)
      •  Milagro-Machala (125 km)
      •  Paute-Cuenca (170 km)
    • 230 KV substations: Pascuales, Quevedo, Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa, Molino, Milagro
    • 138/69 KV substations: Esmeraldas, Portoviejo, Santa Rosa and Cuenca

ASTEC @ 2009