We were hired to take part in the Rehabilitation Project of the Auxiliary Systems at the Rincón de Baygorria Hydroelectric Power Plant, located on the Negro River and integrated into the cascade system that begins with the Gabriel Terra Hydroelectric Plant (Rincón del Bonete) and ends with the Constitución Plant (Paso Palmar).

The plant had three vertical-shaft Kaplan turbines, with a maximum output of 108 MW and the capacity to operate with lake level differences between 10.50 and 19.00 meters. Its total output measured at the Montevideo Collector System was 87,000 kW under normal conditions, with a guaranteed output of 65,000 kW and an approximate annual generation of 400 million kWh.

Our scope included the detailed design of:

• Cooling system: design for the fabrication and installation of new trash racks at each spiral case intake, self-cleaning and basket filters, booster pumps, hydrocyclone filters for the shaft seal circuit, cooling pipelines, exciter cooling, relocation and replacement of the sump tank cooler, and thrust bearing cooling. We also developed the design of the pressurized oil system for emergencies.

• HVAC system: design of upgrades in ventilation and air conditioning of the powerhouse, including the main centrifugal fan, ventilation of the governor enclosures and exciter rooms, air injection in the busbar and cable gallery, new exhaust fans in the transformer area, and air conditioning of control rooms, server and meeting rooms, as well as storage areas and workshops.

• Compressed air system: we designed the new piping layout, installation of two 30 kg/cm² compressors, renewal of the regulation station, centralized air filtering and drying, and the connection for the diesel generator starting compressor.

With this project, we applied our technical knowledge and engineering expertise to enhance the efficiency, safety, and operational reliability of one of the country’s main hydroelectric power plants.