It’s common for large hydropower facilities throughout Latin America to serve as anchors to a country’s energy system, and they often go unnoticed until issues arise. When a long‑operating facility undergoes renovation, it rarely reflects routine maintenance; instead, it points to broader concerns about reliability, aging technology, and long‑term performance.
A long-standing asset returns to focus
Brazilian hydroelectric generation has existed for decades. One such example is the hydroelectric facility located on the border of the Brazilian states of Goiás and Minas Gerais — Itumbiara. In terms of generation size, the facility consists of six generators and provides stable power. Given the nature of this type of installation, it rarely draws public attention except when internal pressures lead to repairs that can no longer be ignored.
While a facility continues to generate reliable amounts of electricity, the internal systems that allow the facility to generate electricity can drift away from meeting the standards necessary to function in today’s environment. This difference between an outward appearance of functioning well and internally being less functional than needed creates the need to reassess.
However, longevity comes at a price. Facilities that once represented “best practices” eventually reach limitations; therefore, operators are forced to make decisions regarding whether to maintain their faith in aged technology or intervene prior to visible signs developing from weak areas within the plant.
Why refurbishment is increasingly necessary
Hydroelectric facilities are built to last long periods of time; however, their internal systems will generally degrade faster than the structure that houses them. Specifically, control systems, protective systems, and turbine-related elements are particularly susceptible to degradation as the expectation for operation evolves over time.
At this scale, the disparity matters. With 2,082 MW of total installed capacity, reliability is both an internal concern and a system‑level issue. As a result, even small inefficiencies in timing or response, or the use of outdated controls, can have impacts well beyond the boundaries of the plant.
Grids today require hydropower to respond differently than in decades past. There are higher expectations for fast response capabilities, safer operations, and enhanced digital resilience in grid operations than ever before. All of these factors create stress on systems that were not originally designed with today’s conditions in consideration.
Many large-scale hydropower facilities in Latin America experience similar stresses. Although they continue to operate, the gaps between legacy systems and contemporary standards continue to expand, creating needs for refurbishment instead of strategic upgrades.
What Andritz Hydro was asked to change
AXIA Energia has contracted with ANDRITZ Hydro to undertake a comprehensive overhaul and modernization of its protection, control, and supervision systems and associated equipment for the Itumbiara hydroelectric power plant. The overall objective is quite simple: increase the reliability, safety, and efficiency of operations at one of Brazil’s largest hydroelectric plants.
These systems constitute the backbone of operational activity within the facility. They govern how equipment reacts to changes in its environment and how risks are identified and managed in real time during normal operations. Modernizing these systems enables confident operation of the facility regardless of whether the power generated remains unchanged.
Andritz will also implement new digital solutions, including its HIPASE Automation Platform and additional security features for protecting against cyber-attacks. Furthermore, these updated systems will enable decision-making on an ongoing basis, utilizing tools that are capable of supporting current grid demands.
Implications for Latin America’s hydropower fleet
The Itumbiara refurbishment represents a larger trend towards maintaining what provides foundational support to regional energy infrastructure. As other facilities approach similar crossroads of needing modernization, it is clear that upgrading or strategically replacing older infrastructure will play a key role in long‑term sustainable renewable resource reliability and grid confidence in Latin America.
