The power station has a 1,140 MW (1,530,000 hp) capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill embankment dam.

It is owned and operated by Machadinho Energetica and produces the equivalent of 37% of the energy consumed in Santa Catarina.

[1] Since 1966 and 1981, a series of studies were carried out on the Machadinho Dam and by 1982 a design was submitted and approved.

The plant was slated to being commercial operations in 1993 but the project was delayed because of environmental concerns.

The designers reevaluated the project and moved the dam's location further upstream on the river.