The largest runner ever produced by Voith Hydro in Latin America was shipped to the hydropower plant Belo Monte this week. A 12-axle trailer left Voith Hydro's manufacturing shop in Manaus, Brazil, transporting a 320 ton runner, impressive for its size – 8.5 meters in diameter and 5 meters tall –, the runner is heading to the Belo Monte hydropower plant.

After a short trip of less than 20 kilometers by truck, the runner was loaded onto a heavy duty barge to travel a journey of 890 kilometers downstream towards the state of Pará, where the Belo Monte hydropower plant is being constructed. The equipment is planned to arrive still this January.

Happy about the accurate shipping on time, Marcos Blumer, President & CEO of Voith Hydro Latin America, says: “Our new manufacturing plant in Manaus is a strategic location, since it is the geographic center of a region with several hydropower projects, planned or in progress. This proximity to those sites enables greater flexibility and speed. Our customers benefit from it, from purchase to maintenance of equipment,” says Marcos Blumer, President & CEO of Voith Hydro Latin America.

As the Belo Monte hydropower plant on the Xingu River is still under construction, it is expected to be commissioned in 2019. It will have an installed capacity of 11,233 megawatts. Voith delivers four Francis turbines, four generators, electrical and mechanical auxiliaries, as well as the automation system. Furthermore, Voith Hydro also provides the complete engineering of the project.

About the Company
Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 39,000 employees, sales of €5.3 billion and locations in more than 50 countries, making it one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.

The Importance of Hydropower
Hydropower is the largest, oldest and also most reliable form of renewable energy generation. Worldwide it makes an indispensable contribution to stable power supplies and hence to economic and social development - both in industrial countries and in emerging markets. At the same time, hydropower significantly contributes to climate-protecting energy generation. Voith has been a leading supplier of this technology since the early beginning, and continuously develops it further.