Henry Borden Hydroelectric Plant

On Thursday, we visited the Henry Borden Hydroelectric Plant. This plant was built in 1926 by a Canadian company with the assistance of an American engineer. It has an installed capacity of 889 megawatts!!The plant receives its energy from the Tiete River.  Due to the natural rivers height, it uses minimal energy to retrieve water from very high up. The water is held in a reservoir and then flows into turbines which in turn create energy. During the trip, we were able to view the two different turbines which were huge! In order to enter the area we had to wear helmets, goggles and ear plugs. 

My friends and I taking a photo in front of the Henry Borden Hydroelectric Plant. The view and the place was amazing!

One of the most interesting facts about the turbines was that they rarely need maintenance! Many of their parts are the same as since they were built. These turbines were built for efficiency under any conditions. 

                                     

Hydroelectric power has come a long way over the years. It is now one of the major types of alternative energy in both Brazil and the U.S. Brazil holds some of the worlds largest hydroelectric plants and I believe that the U.S. should also start building new ones.  Hydroelectric power has the least effects on our natural environment, and therefore in my opinion it is one of the best sources of alternative energy. Negative effects of hydroelectric power include flooding, relocating indigenous people and consuming farm land. Overall, the Henry Borden hydroelectric plant produces over 80% of Sao Paulo's electricity and is a valuable source of power. Hopefully both the U.S. and Brazil continue to research methods of making these alternative energies the best they can be.