New power plant to benefit over 130,000 people in south central Brazil

A new hydropower plant went into operation in Brazil's central state of Minas Gerais on Thursday, providing electricity for about 132,000 customers in the north of the state.

The Irape water power plant, built on the Jequitinhonha river in the northern region of Minas Gerais state in south central Brazil, has a generating capacity of 360 megawatts, local media reported.

Inaugurated by the Minas Gerais State Energy Company on Thursday, the plant is expected to benefit about 132,000 people in 10 towns of the Jequitinhonha Valley, north Minas Gerais.

The plant, with an investment of 415 million U.S. dollars, has three power turbines. The company plans to use only one initially, with the second and third to be put into operation in August and October respectively.

The construction of the plant is part of the local government's latest efforts to develop the Jequitinhonha Valley. Minas Gerais is relatively a wealthy state in Brazil, but the valley, a dry region, historically lags behind the rest of the state.

Source: Xinhua