Pocinho Dam ( pt, Barragem do Pocinho, links=no) is a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

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 to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...

on the

Douro The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...

, 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 Vila Nova de Foz Côa () is a city and a municipality in the Guarda (district), district of Guarda, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,312,

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 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 and ...

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, or maximum effect, is the intended full-load sustained output of a facility such as a power station,

of 186 MW. Its average annual generation is 408.4 (406.2, 530 or 534)

GWh A kilowatt-hour (unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour. In terms of SI derived units with special names, it equals 3.6 megajoules (MJ). Kilowatt-hours are a common bil ...

. 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 ach ...

-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 specific measurement of liquid pressure above a vertical datum., 410 pages. See pp. 43–44., 650 pages. See p. 22. It is usually measured as a liquid surface elevation, expressed in units of length, ...

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. In 2004, it was amalgamated to the newly formed subsidiary of Aker ASA - Aker Kværner, which was renamed Aker Solutions on 3 April 2008 ...

, the generators by

ABB Group ABB Ltd. is a Swedish-Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to create ...

Lock

On the right side of the dam is a

lock Lock(s) 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 entertainment * ''Lock ...

, 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