The Reventazón Dam is a
concrete-face rock-fill dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...
on the
Reventazón River
The Reventazón River, , (), is a river in Costa Rica.
Geography
Reventazón River forms part of the Reventazón-Parismina drainage basin, it is long and flows into the Caribbean sea. It starts at the base of the Irazú Volcano, passing t ...
about southwest of
Siquirres
Siquirres is a district of the Siquirres canton, in the Limón province of Costa Rica. It is a center of commerce and has most of the services for the area's locals.
Toponymy
The name is derived from a native word meaning reddish colored.
His ...
in
Limón Province
Limón (), commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is ho ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
. It was
inaugurated
In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...
on 16 September 2016, and its primary purpose is the production of
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. The US$1.4 billion project and largest power station in the country has an installed capacity of 305.5 MW and is expected to provide power for 525,000 homes. Construction on the dam began in 2009. At a height of and with a structural volume of , it is the largest dam in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
. To produce electricity, water from the reservoir is diverted about to the northeast where it reaches the power station along the Reventazón River.
Due to its environmental features, like offset habitats and migration corridors for jaguars and many other species, the project could be a model for other future hydroelectric power plants.
See also
*
List of power stations in Costa Rica
The following page lists power stations in Costa Rica. Most of them are managed by Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad.
Installed generating capacity and production
Costa Rica had an estimated installed generating capacity of 3,039 MW in 2 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reventazon Dam
Dams in Costa Rica
Concrete-face rock-fill dams
Buildings and structures in Limón Province
Hydroelectric power stations in Costa Rica