Hydromat Croatia Powers Bolivia’s Ivirizu Hydropower Plant in the Remote Andes

HYDROMAT, Croatia is making waves in the remote Andes of Bolivia with its contribution to the Ivirizu hydropower plant Bolivia 290 MW project. Two days ago, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA (ENDE), Bolivia’s national electricity company, released a video showcasing the turbine assembly and associated equipment for this impressive Ivirizu hydropower plant.

World-Class Technology Meets Extreme Conditions

Back in 2020, a leading Norwegian company specializing in hydropower plant design and construction across Norway recommended Hydromat’s world-patented HYREVAL© axial valves for this challenging project. These innovative safety valves serve a critical function: protecting turbines from dangerous peak pressure surges in extreme high-altitude conditions.

Project Scale and Significance

To put the scale in perspective, the installed capacity represents more than three times that of the Varaždin hydropower plant. The Ivirizu hydropower plant Bolivia system comprises two power stations: one equipped with three Pelton turbines and another featuring two Francis turbines, working together to generate 290 MW of clean, renewable energy.

International Collaboration in Challenging Terrain

This mega-project brings together five world-class companies to equip the hydropower facility in an extremely difficult-to-access area of the Bolivian Andes. The dam construction itself is being undertaken by Chinese engineering giant SYNOHYDRO, demonstrating the truly international nature of this ambitious infrastructure development.

Engineering Challenges: Norwegian Expertise Meets Andean Conditions

What connects the waterways of Norway with the distant Andes—and sets them apart from more temperate regions—are the exceptionally large elevation drops combined with relatively lower flow rates. In both locations, vertical drops exceeding 1,000 meters are common, resulting in pressures toward the turbines exceeding 100 bar. These extreme conditions demand specialized high-pressure valve technology capable of withstanding immense forces while providing reliable turbine protection.

Hydromat’s HYREVAL© axial valves were specifically chosen for their proven performance in such demanding applications, where conventional safety systems might fail under the extreme pressure conditions typical of high-altitude hydropower installations.

Take a Closer Look at the Ivirizu Hydropower Plant

Watch ENDE’s official video below to see the turbine assembly and equipment installation at this remarkable Ivirizu hydropower plant Bolivia project, where Hydromat Croatia’s innovative safety valve solutions protect critical infrastructure in one of the world’s most challenging environments.