Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex, Hydroelectric complex in Paulo Afonso, Brazil.

The Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex consists of five power plants spread along the São Francisco River, each utilizing an 80-meter natural waterfall system. The stations work together to generate substantial amounts of electricity from this dramatic water drop.

The project started in 1913 with the Angiquinho Plant and underwent major development from 1948 onward, with Paulo Afonso I becoming Brazil's first large-scale power station in 1955. This marked a turning point in how the Northeast received its electricity.

The complex takes its name from the Paulo Afonso Falls, the 80-metre drop it harnesses. Its Apolônio Sales plant was renamed after Apolônio Sales, founder of CHESF, the company formed in 1945 to develop the São Francisco River. The complex is the main tourist attraction in the region.

The site can be visited by road in most conditions, though the area offers limited shade during the hottest hours of the day. It's best to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon when temperatures are more comfortable.

Paulo Afonso I, II and III sit about 82 metres underground beside one another, reached through tunnels and a cavern excavated for Brazil's first underground power plant. The three generators of PA I, each rated at 60 MW, were built by Westinghouse with Dominion Engineering Works turbines. The four spillways on the front of the falls, when opened, send water down and recreate the falls.