Mequinenza Dam () is a
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
gravity dam
A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...
in the province of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. It impounds the
Ebro
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...
creating a large reservoir, which is called ''Mar de Aragón''.
About 35 km downstream of Mequinenza dam is
Ribarroja dam.
''Empresa Nacional Hidroeléctrica del Ribagorzana S.A.'' (
ENHER) was mandated in 1955
by ''
Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI)'' to build two dams on the Ebro near
Mequinenza and
Ribarroja. Work on Mequinenza dam started in 1957.
The filling of the reservoir began in December 1965.
The power plant was operational in 1964
(1966
).
ENHER was acquired by
Endesa in 1999.
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 m
3. The dam features a
spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...
with 6 gates over the dam (maximum discharge 11,000 m
3/s) and one bottom outlet (maximum discharge 160 m
3/s).
Reservoir
At full reservoir level of 121
m.a.s.l. the reservoir has a surface area of 75.4 km
2, a total capacity of 1.53 billion m
3 and a length of almost 110
km. The average width of the reservoir is about 600 m, its maximum (average) depth is 62 (20) m.
Power plant
The power plant contains 4
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 ...
-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.
Maximum flow is 150 m
3/s per turbine.
See also
*
List of power stations in Spain
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Spain
External links
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mequinenza Dam
Dams in Spain
Hydroelectric power stations in Spain
Gravity dams
Dams completed in 1964
Energy infrastructure completed in 1964
1964 establishments in Spain
Buildings and structures in the Province of Zaragoza