Mequinenza Dam
Mequinenza Dam (Spanish: Presa de Mequinenza) is a concrete gravity dam in the province of Zaragoza, Spain. It impounds the Ebro creating a large reservoir, which is called Mar de Aragón.[1] About 35 km downstream of Mequinenza dam is Ribarroja dam.
| Mequinenza Dam | |
|---|---|
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  Location of Mequinenza Dam in Spain | |
| Official name | Presa de Mequinenza |
| Location | Province of Zaragoza, Spain |
| Coordinates | 41.368983°N 0.273381°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1957 |
| Opening date | 1964 |
| Owner(s) | Endesa |
| Operator(s) | Endesa |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete gravity dam |
| Impounds | Ebro |
| Height (foundation) | 79 m (259 ft) |
| Length | 461 m (1,512 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 124 m (407 ft) |
| Dam volume | 1,100,000 m3 (39,000,000 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Over the dam |
| Spillway capacity | 11,000 m3/s (8.9 acre⋅ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 1,530,000,000 m3 (1,240,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 75.4 km2 (29.1 sq mi) |
| Maximum length | 110 km (68 mi) |
| Maximum width | 600 m (2,000 ft) |
| Maximum water depth | 62 m (203 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 121 m (397 ft) |
| Commission date | 1966 |
| Turbines | 4 x 96 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 384 MW |
Empresa Nacional Hidroeléctrica del Ribagorzana S.A. (ENHER) was mandated in 1955[2][3] by Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) to build two dams on the Ebro near Mequinenza and Ribarroja. Work on Mequinenza dam started in 1957.[1] The filling of the reservoir began in December 1965.[2] The power plant was operational in 1964[3][4] (1966[5]). ENHER was acquired by Endesa in 1999.[6]
Dam
Mequinenza Dam is a 79 m tall (height above foundation) and 461 m long gravity dam with a crest altitude of 124 m. The volume of the dam is 1,100,000 m³. The dam features a spillway with 6 gates over the dam (maximum discharge 11,000 m³/s) and one bottom outlet (maximum discharge 160 m³/s).[7]
Reservoir
At full reservoir level of 121 m.a.s.l. the reservoir has a surface area of 75.4 km², a total capacity of 1.53 billion m³ and a length of almost 110[2][3] km. The average width of the reservoir is about 600 m, its maximum (average) depth is 62 (20) m.[5]
Power plant
The power plant contains 4 Francis turbine-generators. The initial nameplate capacity was 81 MW each. The turbines, generators and transformers were refurbished from 2007 until 2010 raising the capacity of the new machines to 96 MW each.[4] Maximum flow is 150 m³/s per turbine.[5]
External links
- "La presa de Mequinenza". Wikimapia. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "Embalse de Mequinenza". megaconstrucciones.net. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
References
- "HISTORIA" (in Spanish). www.mequinensa.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "Embalse de Mequinenza" (in Spanish). www.turismodezaragoza.es. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "REVISIÓN DEL DIAGNÓSTICO DE LA PRESA DE MEQUINENZA" (PDF) (in Spanish). COMITÉ NACIONAL ESPAÑOL DE GRANDES PRESAS. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "La hidroeléctrica de Mequinenza ultima el cambio de sus turbinas tras invertir 40 millones" (in Spanish). www.20minutos.es. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "Ministerio del Medio Ambiente - Comisaría de Aguas" (PDF) (in Spanish). DIAGNÓSTICO Y GESTIÓN AMBIENTAL DE EMBALSES EN EL ÁMBITO DE LA CUENCA HIDROGRÁFICA DEL EBRO. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "Endesa absorbe Fecsa y Enher". El País (in Spanish). 1999-03-18. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- "PRESA: MEQUINENZA" (in Spanish). SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE PRESAS Y EMBALSES (SEPREM). Retrieved 2016-04-23.
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