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Salto Curucaca

Hydro power plant in Parana, Brazil. Approximate location -25.5328, -51.8156.

HydroParanaBrazilunknown

Salto Curucaca is a 37 MW hydro power plant in Parana, Brazil. It is operated by Santa Maria Energia. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 37k homes (estimated). It ranks #545 of 2,572 Brazil power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2016, it is around 10 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 51.8% of Brazil's electricity; the national grid averages 110 gCO₂/kWh (88.7% low-carbon) (2025).

37Source-backed capacity
37,042homes powered (est.)
2016commissioned (~10 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id BRA0028994.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySalto Curucaca WRI
CountryBrazil · Parana WRI
Coordinates-25.5328, -51.8156 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity37 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSanta Maria Energia WRI
Commissioned2016 WRI
Technologyunknown WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#545 of 2572 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#150 of 701 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.22× · 12 MW median · 701 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent37,042 calculated
Climate17.0°C · HDD 678 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 30/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100001054582); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 37 MW, Salto Curucaca is well above the median hydro plant in Brazil (12 MW). Technically it is described as unknown. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Brazil

Belo Monte: 11,233 MW11kBelo MonteTucuruí: 8,535 MW9kTucuruíItaipu (Parte Brasileira): 7,000 MW7kItaipu (Pa…Jirau: 3,750 MW4kJirauSanto Antônio: 3,568 MW4kSanto Antô…Ilha Solteira: 3,444 MW3kIlha Solte…Xingó: 3,162 MW3kXingóPaulo Afonso IV: 2,462 MW2kPaulo Afon…

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Santa Maria Energia.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 25.5°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

17.0°Cannual mean temp
678heating degree-days (base 18°C)
294cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
933 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 21 °CJF: 21 °CFM: 20 °CMA: 17 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 13 °CJJ: 13 °CJA: 14 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 17 °CON: 19 °CND: 20 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 72% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 23/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
30/100environmental-severity index
8.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
314 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #150 largest hydro power plant of 701 in Brazil by capacity.

Brazil has 701 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 105,987 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -25.5328, -51.8156 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Salto Curucaca?

Salto Curucaca is a 37 MW source-record hydro power plant in Parana, Brazil, commissioned in 2016.

How many homes can Salto Curucaca power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 37,042 homes (estimated).

Who operates Salto Curucaca?

Salto Curucaca is operated by Santa Maria Energia.

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