The Cerros Colorados Complex is a group of

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

s and

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

generation facilities on the lower valley of the

Neuquén River The Neuquén River () is the second most important river of the province of Neuquén in the Argentine Patagonia, after the Limay River. Rocks of the Neuquén Basin are fossiliferous, and the basin hosts what may become important fields of ...

, in

Neuquén Neuquén (; ) is the capital city of the Argentine province of Neuquén and of the Confluencia Department, located in the east of the province. It occupies a strip of land west of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén rivers which form t ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Overview

The complex was started in 1969, and the first machine started functioning in 1978. The complex was officially inaugurated on 31 October 1980. In 1993 it was privatized by a concession grant to Hidroeléctrica Cerros Colorados S.A. In 2000,

Duke Energy Duke Energy Corporation is an American electric power and natural gas holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company ranked as the 141st largest company in the United States in 2024 – its highest-ever placement on the ...

acquired Cerros Colorados and the Alto Valle thermal power plant. Cerros Colorados is itself part of a larger engineering scheme, commonly known as the El Chocón-Cerros Colorados Complex, which includes the dam and hydroelectric plant of El Chocón located upstream, on the

Limay River The Limay River is an important river in the northwestern Argentine Patagonia (the region of Comahue). It originates at the eastern end of the Nahuel Huapi Lake and flows in a meandering path for about , collecting the waters of several tributa ...

Constituent works

Cerros Colorados consists of four dams (Portezuelo Grande, Loma de la Lata, Planicie Banderita and El Chañar), and takes advantage of two deep natural depressions, called Los Barreales and Mari Menuco. The Portezuelo Grande Dam (upstream) re-routes the waters of the river towards Los Barreales Lake, except for those destined to

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

, domestic supply and ecological use. The water in Los Barreales then flows toward Mari Menuco, through a passage controlled by the Loma de la Lata Dam. The water level in Mari Menuco is kept higher than that of the river in Planicie Banderita. The Planicie Banderita hydroelectric power plant, employs two

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...

generators equipped with vertical-axis

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The pro ...

s (each with a nominal power of ) to generate per year. The plant then returns the waters to the course of the river. Planicie Banderita delivers the generated electric power at 500 kV to the National Interconnection System. The flow of the river is further adjusted about downstream from Planicie Banderita by a small check dam, El Chañar.

Notes

References

* Duke Energy Argentina
GeneraciónComplejo Cerros Colorados
* Argentour
Río Limay
* Secretaría de Energía. República Argentina
Complejo Cerros Colorados

External links

{{coord, 38, 30, S, 68, 50, W, region:AR_type:waterbody, display=title Geography of Neuquén Province Dams in Argentina Duke Energy Hydroelectric power stations in Argentina