Sao Paulo, Brazil, 16 Feb – The small São João hydroelectric dam, built by Energias do Brasil, a Brazilian subsidiary of Portugal’s power company EDP – Energias de Portugal, has gone into its final stage of preparation with the filling of its reservoir, the company said on its Website.

At this plant, which has an installed capacity of 25 megawatts, Energias do Brasil has invested 90 million reals.

With the start of operation of this small dam and the conclusion of the Peixe Angical dam, opened in 2006, Energias do Brasil now has total production capacity of 1,043 megawatts.

This year the company plans to start construction of the Santa Fé dam, in Espirito Santo, with a capacity of 29 megawatts, at an investment of 105 million reals.

António Martins da Costa, the company’s chairman said in the statement that the low environmental impact and short construction times were factors that led the company to build small dams.

Energias do Brazil is a holding company that controls distribution companies, Bandeirante (Sao Paulo), Escelsa (Esprito Santo state) and Enersul (Mato Grosso do Sul), as well as generation companies, EDP Lajeado, Energesy and Enerpeixe, and sales company Enertrade. (macauhub)