São Simão Hydroelectric Plant

The inauguration of the São Simão hydroelectric plant was a grand event, held on June 24, 1978, in the presence of the President of Brazil, Ernesto Geisel, along with ministers and authorities from the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás.

Constructed between 1973 and 1978, at the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás, the São Simão hydroelectric plant is named after the steep rocky gorge upstream of the dam where the river flowed through rapids. Located 700 km west of Belo Horizonte and 650 km northwest of São Paulo, the plant consists of a gravity dam, with a central concrete section 700 meters long, which includes intake works for water release and regulation. The two lateral dams are composed of mixed earth and rock structures, with a total length of 1,900 meters. The dam creates an artificial lake with a volume of 12,500,000 m³ of water.

A crucial milestone in the project was the river diversion on June 15, 1975, one month ahead of schedule. This allowed for the completion of the plant according to the agreed timetable, achieving monthly production rates of up to 107,000 m³ of concrete and 1,600,000 m³ of embankments.