Picote Dam ( pt, Barragem de Picote, 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 ...

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 strengthen ...

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 ...

, located in the municipality

Miranda do Douro Miranda do Douro () or Miranda de l Douro in Mirandese () 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 population of 1,9 ...

, in

Bragança District Bragança District ( pt, Distrito de Bragança ; mwl, Çtrito de Bergáncia) 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 l ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. Construction of the dam began in 1953. The dam 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 Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter. A side view of a Tainter gate resembles a slice of pie with the c ...

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 ( pt, Albufeira da Barragem de Picote, links=no) has a surface area of 2.44 km² and its total capacity is 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 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 station with 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 195 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 proces ...

-generators in an underground powerhouse. 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 63 m, the maximum 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.

References

{{Douro dams Dams in Portugal Hydroelectric power stations in Portugal Arch dams Dams completed in 1958 Energy infrastructure completed in 1958 1958 establishments in Portugal Buildings and structures in Bragança District Underground power stations Dams on the Douro River

Dam

Reservoir

Power plant Picote I

Power plant Picote II

See also

References