Minas-San Francisco and La Union: a complex underground hydropower cascade scheme in Ecuador a complex underground hydropower cascade scheme in Ecuador

The Minas-San Francisco and La Union cascade hydro scheme is on the Jubones river in the Azuay and El Oro Provinces, in the south of Ecuador, 500 km from Quito. Design alternatives for the underground structures were based on multiple-criteria analysis, taking into account the hydraulic constraints, the detailed dimensioning of the underground openings to ensure the safety of personnel during construction and operation, and a detailed 3D geomechanical model, which facilitated detailed consideration of mitigation measures to potentials risks during construction and operation.