Copel to repair Salto Caxias dam

Brazilian power company Copel will fix cracks in a 60-meter high dam at its 1,240MW Salto Caxias hydroelectric power plant, the company said in a statement. Salto Caxias construction was completed in 1999 on the Iguaçu river in southern Paraná state at a cost of 1bn reais (US$415mn). The cracks were first noticed in late 1998, when Copel started to fill the 141 sq km reservoir. Copel will carry out studies to determine whether the problem was caused by faulty construction and who is responsible for the cracks, the statement said. Brazilian engineering company Leme Engenharia was responsible for project development and technical assistance during the construction. Copel is controlled by the Paraná state government. The company has 4,550MW installed capacity in 18 power plants, 17 of which are hydroelectric.