Rehabilitation projects of the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric dam (HCB) aim to replace obsolete equipment operating for over 30 years, according to HCB Maintenance Planning Department.

According to Luís Simione, from the Department of Maintenance Planning, the rehabilitation of spillways is an action for strategic intervention of HCB in the organs of hydraulic operation of the dam, and aims confer greater operability and effectiveness at nine gates that guarantee the operation of the dam, with an investment of over EUR 22 million. The works started in August 2010 and completion is scheduled for 2015.

Luís Simione explained that, in specific terms, the project will allow greater safety of the dam structure, better management and operational maneuvers of the floodgates.

“We also want to preserve the environmental conditions upstream and downstream of the dam,” He added. The floodgates are organs of monitoring and regulation of the hydrometric levels of Cahora Bassa.