The Cerros Colorados Complex is a group of
dams and
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
generation facilities on the lower valley of the
Neuquén River, in
Neuquén,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
.
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.
Overview
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy owns 58,200 megawatts of base-load and peak generation in ...
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.
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) 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 been devel ...
, 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 conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', ''E ...
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 proc ...
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