| Teles Pires Dam | |
| Name Official: | Usina Hidrelétrica Teles Pires |
| Dam Crosses: | Teles Pires |
| Location: | Paranaíta, Mato Grosso and Pará, Brazil |
| Dam Type: | Gravity, composite |
| Dam Length: | 8600NaN0 |
| Dam Height: | 800NaN0 |
| Construction Began: | July 2011 |
| Spillway Type: | Gate-controlled |
| Spillway Capacity: | 137040NaN0 |
| Opening: | September 2016[1] |
| Cost: | US$1.62 billion (R$ 3.3 billion) |
| Owner: | Iberdrola Neoenergia Iberdrola |
| Operator: | Iberdrola Neoenergia Iberdrola |
| Res Capacity Total: | 0.997220NaN0 |
| Res Elevation: | 2200NaN0 |
| Res Surface: | 1510NaN0 |
| Res Max Depth: | 6.60NaN0 (average) |
| Plant Operator: | ANEEL |
| Plant Hydraulic Head: | 54.570NaN0 |
| Plant Turbines: | 5 x 364MW vertical Francis turbines |
| Plant Capacity: | 1820MW |
| Location Map: | Brazil |
| Location Map Caption: | Location of the Teles Pires Dam in Brazil |
| Coordinates: | -9.3406°N -56.7769°W |
| Extra: | River flow 2261 m3/s average |
The Teles Pires Dam is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam on the Teles Pires River, 3300NaN0 upstream of the confluence with the Tapajós river, on the border of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Pará. The 80abbr=NaNabbr= dam impounds a 150abbr=NaNabbr= reservoir (original riverbed and inundated area), 84% in Mato Grosso state (Paranaíta district) and 16% in Para state (Jacareacanga district).[2]
The dam is part of a planned six-power-plant "Hidrovia Tapajos/Teles Pires" project to create a navigable waterway connecting the interior of Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean. The waterway will consist of six dams on the Teles Pires river—the 53abbr=NaNabbr= Magessi Dam, 430abbr=NaNabbr= Sinop Dam, 342abbr=NaNabbr= Colider Dam, 1820abbr=NaNabbr= Teles Pires Dam, and 746abbr=NaNabbr= Sao Manoel Dam—and the 230abbr=NaNabbr= Foz do Apiacas Dam on the Apiacas river. Smaller upstream dams are still in the planning stages.[3]
The Teles Pires Dam is a gravity dam constructed of composite materials layered on a roller-compacted concrete core, located on the Teles Pires river upstream of the confluence with the Tapajos river, on the border between the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Para.[4]
Brazilian law requires water impoundments to undergo an approval process to ensure that each project meets environmental, social, political, and safety criteria.
The most frequent objection is that the dam builders failed to adequately consult with indigenous peoples, as required by law. The Brazilian government indigenous protection foundation FUNAI predicts that there may be un-contacted indigenous populations in the region that will be affected by the dam.[5] On March 30, 2012, a judge suspended construction of the Teles Pires Dam to preserve a waterfall that is considered sacred by an indigenous tribe.[6]
The Teles Pires Dam does not impound a large reservoir because it is a run-of-the-river project. The dam also feature significant environmental remediation efforts. As a consequence, there has not been strong environmental opposition to the implementation of the Teles Pires Dam.[7] On 17 March 2015 an agreement was made to compensate the public for the irreversible negative environmental impacts of the project through payment of R$500,000 for use by the Sucunduri State Park.