Pocinho 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 ...

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 ...

, where the river forms the border line between the districts of Guarda and Bragança. It is located in the municipality Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in Guarda District, Portugal. Construction of the dam began in 1974. The dam was completed in 1982. It is owned by ''Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade'' (CPPE).

Dam

Pocinho Dam is a 49 m tall (height above foundation) and 430 m long gravity dam with a crest altitude of 139 m. The volume of the dam is 120,000 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 ...

with 4 radial gates is part of the dam body (maximum discharge 15,000 m³/s).

Reservoir

At full reservoir level of 125.5 m (maximum flood level of 134.5 m) the reservoir of the dam has a surface area of 8.29 km² and a total capacity of 83.07 mio. m³. The active capacity is 12.24 (12) mio. m³.

Power plant

The

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 plant was commissioned in 1983 (1982). It is operated by EDP. The plant has 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 408.4 (406.2, 530 or 534) GWh. The power station contains 3

Kaplan turbine The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades. It was developed in 1913 by Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined automatically adjusted propeller blades with automatically adjusted wicket gates to a ...

-generators with 57.6 MW (62 MVA) each in a dam powerhouse located on the left side of the dam. The turbine rotation is 88.2 rpm. The minimum

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 15.5 m, the maximum 21.6 m. Maximum flow per turbine is 390 m³/s. The turbines were provided by

Kværner Kværner was a Norwegian engineering and construction services company that existed between 1853 and 2005. During its initial decades, the firm was involved in the manufacture of cast iron stoves and hydroelectric turbines. The turbine busi ...

, the generators by

ABB Group ABB Group is a Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation. Incorporated in Switzerland as ABB Ltd., and headquartered in Zurich, it is dual-listed on the Nasdaq Nordic exchange in Stockholm, Sweden, and the SIX Swiss Exch ...

Lock

On the right side of the dam is a

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

, which can handle ships with the following maximum properties: 83 m in length, 11.40 m on the beam, 3.8 m load-draught and a cargo capacity of 2500 tons.

References

{{Douro dams Dams in Portugal Hydroelectric power stations in Portugal Gravity dams Dams completed in 1982 Energy infrastructure completed in 1982 1982 establishments in Portugal Buildings and structures in Guarda District Dams on the Douro River Locks of Portugal Run-of-the-river power stations

Dam

Reservoir

Power plant

Lock

See also

References