OREANDA-NEWS. March 03, 2010. Power Machines company has successfully completed its scope of work within the project of Los Caracoles HPP construction in Argentina.

Power Machines signed a contract for equipment manufacture and procurement with Argentina’s UTE consortium, main contractor for the power plant turnkey construction project, in November 2004.  The contract value is over 18 million USD.

Under the contract, Power Machines designed, manufactured and supplied two hydraulic units of 60.78 MW capacity each completed with hydromechanical and auxiliary equipment.  Within the scope of the contract, Power Machines’ engineers also supervised installation activities and managed start-up operations.

Both hydraulic units of Los Caracoles HPP were commissioned by the Customer and put into operation; the warranty period will expire in two years.

The new hydroelectric power plant has enabled San Juan province to fully satisfy its electricity needs and improve the irrigation system; electric power production also allowed for providing the required funding to build the downstream Punta Negra HPP.

Power Machines’ participation in Argentina’s power plant construction is one of a number of successful projects developed by the company on Latin American energy market.  Currently Power Machines manufacture and procure equipment for San Juan HPP in Brazil (two 41 MW hydroelectric generators) and La Yesca HPP in Mexico (two hydraulic turbines and two 375 MW hydroelectric generators). Construction of La Igera HPP (two 77.5 MW hydroelectric units) in Chile is at the completion stage.

Los Caracoles HPP (caracoles means ‘snails’ in Spanish) is located in the Andes mountains at an altitude of 2,300 m above sea level. It is situated 1,250 km from Buenos Aires and 50 km from San Juan, capital city of the province. The hydroelectric power generation facility comprises a 150 m high dam, a 1.7 km long pressure conduit, overflow and bottom spillways, an electric power substation and an aboveground hydropower plant with two hydroelectric units.