Alqueva dam

Alqueva dam
	location
Coordinates	38 ° 11 '50 " N , 7 ° 29' 46" W Coordinates: 38 ° 11 '50 " N , 7 ° 29' 46" W.
country	Portugal
place	Moura , Beja District
Waters	Guadiana
Height upstream	152 m
	power plant
owner	Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-estruturas do Alqueva, SA (EDIA)
operator	Energias de Portugal (EDP)
Start of planning	1994
construction time	1994 to 2002
Start of operation	2004
	technology
Bottleneck performance	520 megawatts
Average ; height of fall	50.2 to 76, .. m
Expansion flow	203.2, .. m³ / s
Standard work capacity	739 million kWh / year
Turbines	Francis turbines : 2 × 129.6, 2 × 130 MW
Generators	2 × 147, 2 × ..
	Others

The Alqueva Dam ( Portuguese Barragem de Alqueva ) is a pumped storage power plant located in the Alentejo region of Portugal in the Beja district . It dams the Guadiana , which at this point forms the border between the districts of Beja and Évora . The nearest town, Moura, is about six kilometers southeast of the dam. About two kilometers below the dam, the Ardila flows into the Guadiana. About ten kilometers to the south-west is the Pedrógão dam , whose reservoir serves primarily as a lower basin for the Alqueva pumped storage power plant.

The project to build the dam began in 1994. The construction was completed in 2002. In addition to irrigation, the dam is also used to supply drinking water and generate electricity. It is owned by the Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-estruturas do Alqueva, SA (EDIA).

Considerations for the construction of the dam go back to 1957. The first work began in 1976, but was stopped again in 1978. After the EDIA was founded in 1995, work was resumed. The impoundment began in 2002. On January 12, 2010, the target of 152 m was reached for the first time.

Barrier structure

The barrier structure is a double-curved concrete arch dam with a height of 96 m above the foundation level . The top of the wall is at a height of 154 m above sea level . The length of the top of the wall is 458 m and its width 7 m. The volume of the structure is 687,000 m³.

The dam has both a bottom outlet and a flood relief , which is located on both the right and left side of the dam. A maximum of 160 m³ / s can be discharged via the bottom outlet, and a maximum of 6300 m³ / s via the flood discharge. The design flood is 12,000 m³ / s; the probability of this event occurring has been determined to be once every 1,000 years.

Reservoir

With a normal storage target of 152 m (maximum 154.7 m at high water), the reservoir (port. Albufeira da Barragem do Alqueva or Albufeira de Alqueva ) extends over an area of around 250 km² and holds 4.15 billion m³ of water - of this, 3.15 billion m³ can be used. The minimum congestion destination at which the machines can still be operated is 135 m.

The Alqueva reservoir forms the heart of an extensive irrigation system that covers a total of around 120,000 hectares. The reservoir is now also being developed for tourism. According to EDP , it is the largest lake in Portugal and the largest artificial lake in Europe.

Alqueva power plant

With an installed capacity of 520 MW (4 machines: 2 × 129.6 and 2 × 130 MW), the Alqueva power plant is one of the largest hydropower plants in Portugal. The average annual production is 739 (Alqueva I: 269 and Alqueva II: 470) million kWh .

The power plant is owned by EDIA, but operated by EDP.

Alqueva I power plant

At the time of commissioning in 2004, the power plant had an installed capacity of 236 (or 240) MW. The two Francis turbines are pump turbines . APA states the average annual generation for these two machines at 269 million kWh . The machines are located in a machine house at the foot of the dam. They each produce a maximum of 129.6 MW, while the associated generators produce 147 MVA . The rated speed of the turbines is 136.4 / min. The pumps each have a maximum output of 106.9 MW. The nominal voltage of the generators is 15 kV . In the switchgear , the generator voltage of 15 kV is increased to 400 kV using power transformers.

The minimum height of fall is 50.2 m, the maximum 76 m. The maximum flow is 203.2 m³ / s.

Alqueva II power plant

From July 2008 to December 2012 the power plant was expanded. Two additional machines with a maximum output of 130 MW each were installed. The associated pumps have a maximum output of 110 MW each. EDP states the average annual production for these two machines at 470 million kWh . The machines are in their own machine house on the right side of the river.

Web links

Commons : Alqueva dam - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b DECLARAÇÃO AMBIENTAL 2012. (PDF 16.1 MB p. 53 (30)) EDP , accessed on November 3, 2014 (Portuguese): “[..] que é o maior reservatório de água em território nacional eo maior lago artificial da Europe. [..] o seu objetivo principal é criar uma albufeira de contra embalse para permitir a reutilização dos caudais turbinados em Alqueva. "
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ALQUEVA DAM. APA Barragens de Portugal, accessed November 3, 2014 .
↑ ^a ^b History. Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-estruturas do Alqueva, SA (EDIA), accessed on November 3, 2014 (English).
↑ Alqueva dam. Structurae International Database for Structures and Civil Engineers, accessed November 3, 2014 .
↑ ALQUEVA. APA Barragens de Portugal, accessed November 3, 2014 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Desenho Técnico 3. (PDF; 347 kB; p. 1) EDP, accessed on November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).
↑ The general irrigation system. EDIA, accessed on November 3, 2014 (English).
↑ Alqueva Reservoir. (No longer available online.) Www.alqueva.de, archived from the original on November 22, 2014 ; Retrieved November 3, 2014 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Alqueva Informação Técnica. EDP, accessed November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).
↑ ^a ^b ^c Alqueva II Informação Técnica. EDP, accessed November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).
↑ ^a ^b Alqueva Hydroelectric Power Plant Portugal. Global Energy Observatory, accessed November 3, 2014 .
^ Hidroelectricidade em Portugal memória e desafio. (PDF; 226 kB; S. 32 (30)) Rede Eléctrica Nacional, SA (REN), accessed on November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).

[da-1] DECLARAÇÃO AMBIENTAL 2012. (PDF 16.1 MB p. 53 (30)) EDP , accessed on November 3, 2014 (Portuguese): “[..] que é o maior reservatório de água em território nacional eo maior lago artificial da Europe. [..] o seu objetivo principal é criar uma albufeira de contra embalse para permitir a reutilização dos caudais turbinados em Alqueva. "

[APA-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ALQUEVA DAM. APA Barragens de Portugal, accessed November 3, 2014 .

[edia-3] History. Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-estruturas do Alqueva, SA (EDIA), accessed on November 3, 2014 (English).

[str-4] Alqueva dam. Structurae International Database for Structures and Civil Engineers, accessed November 3, 2014 .

[APA2-5] ALQUEVA. APA Barragens de Portugal, accessed November 3, 2014 .

[EDP3-6] Desenho Técnico 3. (PDF; 347 kB; p. 1) EDP, accessed on November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).

[edia2-7] The general irrigation system. EDIA, accessed on November 3, 2014 (English).

[alq-8] Alqueva Reservoir. (No longer available online.) Www.alqueva.de, archived from the original on November 22, 2014 ; Retrieved November 3, 2014 .

[EDP-9] Alqueva Informação Técnica. EDP, accessed November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).

[EDP2-10] Alqueva II Informação Técnica. EDP, accessed November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).

[geo-11] Alqueva Hydroelectric Power Plant Portugal. Global Energy Observatory, accessed November 3, 2014 .

[ren-12] Hidroelectricidade em Portugal memória e desafio. (PDF; 226 kB; S. 32 (30)) Rede Eléctrica Nacional, SA (REN), accessed on November 3, 2014 (Portuguese).