Panambí Dam

Panambí Dam
Uruguay River at Panambí
Location of Panambí Dam in Brazil
Official name	Represa de Panambí
Country	Argentina, Brazil
Coordinates	27°39′04″S 54°54′16″W / 27.651002°S 54.904558°W / -27.651002; -54.904558Coordinates: 27°39′04″S 54°54′16″W / 27.651002°S 54.904558°W / -27.651002; -54.904558
Purpose	Hydroelectric
Status	Planned
Dam and spillways
Height (thalweg)	40 metres (130 ft)
Length	1,000 metres (3,300 ft)
Reservoir
Surface area	327 square kilometres (126 sq mi)
Normal elevation	130 metres (430 ft)
Power station
Turbines	7 Kaplan
Installed capacity	1,048 MW
Capacity factor	0.60
Annual generation	5,474 GWh

The Panambí Dam (Portuguese: Represa de Panambí), or Roncador Dam, is a planned hydroelectric dam and generating station on the Uruguay River between Argentina and Brazil, part of the Garabí-Panambi Hydroelectric Complex. There is controversy over the environmental impact on the fast-flowing river.

The Panambí Dam would be built in the Misiones province of Argentina, and the Alecrim municipality of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. The exact location would depend on the results of geological studies of the sites. The Panambí Dam would be about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) upstream from Porto Vera Cruz in Brazil and Panambi in Argentina, and in Brazil its reservoir would cover parts of the municipalities of Alecrim, Doutor Maurício Cardoso, Novo Machado, Porto Mauá, Santo Cristo, Tucunduva, Tuparendi, Crissiumal, Derrubadas, Esperança do Sul and Tiradentes do Sul.

The project is a joint venture of Eletrobras of Brazil and Emprendimientos Energéticos Binacionales (Ebisa) of Argentina. The Panambi plant is scheduled to be built near Alecrim for US$2.74 billion. The Panambi dam would be about 40 metres (130 ft) high and 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) long. The reservoir would cover 327 square kilometres (126 sq mi). The reservoir elevation would be 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level. The power plant would have 7 Kaplan turbines, with an installed capacity of 1,048 MW and average annual generation of 5,474 GWh.

A biologist has argued that the nature of the river would be transformed from a fast-moving river with rapids to standing water, affecting the ability of fish to reproduce. Eletrobras has guaranteed that the Yucumã Falls, the largest longitudinal waterfall in the world, and the Turvo State Park would be preserved, but there was fear that 10% would be flooded by the Panambi reservoir. Electrobras has stated that flooding in Turvo could only occur during flood periods.