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 ...
arch dam
An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengtheni ...
on the
Douro
The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...
, located in the municipality
Miranda do Douro
Miranda do Douro (), officially the City of Miranda do Douro (; , ), is a city and a municipality in the district of Bragança, northeastern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,482, in an area of 487.18 km2. The town proper had a populati ...
, in
Bragança District
Bragança District ( ; ) is a traditional political division of Portugal, in the northeast corner bordering on Spain (Castile and Leon and Galicia), covering 7.4% of the nation's continental landmass. the total resident population was 136,252, ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
.
Construction of the dam began in 1953, and was completed in 1958. It is owned by ''Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade'' (CPPE). Picote Dam was the first dam constructed by Portugal on the Douro.
Dam
Picote Dam is a 100 m tall (height above foundation) and 139 m long arch dam with a crest altitude of 480 m. The volume of the dam is 205,000 m3. The
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 ...
is located on its crest and is controlled by four
tainter gate
The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for its inventor, the Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter.
Tainter, an employee of the lumber firm Knapp, ...
s. It has a maximum discharge of while one bottom outlet can discharge up to .
Reservoir
At full reservoir level of 471 m, (maximum flood level of 478 m) the reservoir of the dam () has a surface area of 2.44 km2 with a total capacity of 63 mio. m3 (active capacity 13.43 mio. m3).
Power plant Picote I
The power plant Picote I is a
run-of-the-river
Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...
hydroelectric
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 ...
power station with a
nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, maximum effect or gross capacity,MW. Its average annual generation is 868,6 (838, 941, or 1,038) GWh. The power station contains three 65 MW
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 ...
hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a measurement related to liquid pressure (normalized by specific weight) and the liquid elevation above a vertical datum., 410 pages. See pp. 43–44., 650 pages. See p. 22, eq.3.2a.
It is usually meas ...
is 63 m, the maximum is 74 m. Maximum flow per turbine is 117 m3/s.
The plant is owned by CPPE, but operated by EDP.
Power plant Picote II
In March 2007, construction began on the Picote II hydroelectric power plant. In December 2011, work on an additional underground powerhouse was completed and a further turbine with 246 MW went online. Its average annual generation is 244 GWh.
The plant is owned by CPPE, but operated by EDP.
See also
*
List of power stations in Portugal
The following page lists some power stations in Portugal.
Cogeneration
Geothermal
Hydroelectric
Thermal
See also
* List of power stations in Europe
* List of largest power stations in the world
References
{{commons cat ...