FreiCanecastation

From the beginning of its activities in Rio de Janeiro, Light set out to build a hydroelectric plant to make its businesses viable. Furthermore, the construction of a robust substation was necessary for the distribution of electric power in the city. At the site chosen on Frei Caneca Street, a large operations theater was established from which massive installations emerged that, starting in 1907, even in a provisional building, were already connected to the Fontes plant. In the following years, the rapid growth in the number of customers led to the construction of other hydroelectric plants in the state of Rio de Janeiro and several new receiving substations in some neighborhoods, to meet the city's demands. Next, photographs that mark three stages of the first construction.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a construction site. On the left, we see a tree with a wooden post near it. In the center, several people are working around wooden structures and construction equipment. On the right, there are more workers organized in groups, some carrying materials. In the background, there is a row of houses and buildings, with a palm tree standing out. Vegetation-covered mountains form the horizon.

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Imagem 1 de 3: Light and Power: Vista geral de campo na Rua Frei Caneca onde estão sendo construídas as Usinas – 28/07/1907 – Augusto Malta

In 1909, the building that became the greatest symbol of that undertaking was completed and which to this day remains in operation on Frei Caneca Street, in the central region of the city.

Image description: This is a historic photograph of a building with classical architecture, possibly from the early twentieth century. The building is large and rectangular, with several rounded windows and decorative columns. The main façade faces right, while the left side shows an open entrance. In the foreground, there is a construction area with pieces of brick and construction equipment. A carriage pulled by two horses is parked near the building, and a person is sitting in the carriage. In the lower left of the image, another person is standing. The sky is clear, and the horizon reveals some distant mountains.