Bouçã Dam ( pt, Barragem da Bouçã, 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 ...
double curvature
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 strength ...
on the
Zêzere River
The Zêzere () is a river in Portugal, tributary to the Tagus
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, ...
, where the river forms the border line between the districts of
Castelo Branco and
Leiria
Leiria (; cel-x-proto, ɸlāryo) is a city and municipality in the Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat of its own distr ...
. It is located in the municipality
Pedrógão Grande
Pedrógão Grande (; cel-x-proto, Pendraganum) is a municipality in the district of Leiria in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 3,915 in an area of .
The town itself has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, with the remaining population living in sev ...
, in Leiria District, Portugal.
The dam was completed in 1955. It is owned by ''Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade'' (CPPE).
Dam
Bouçã Dam is a 63 m tall (height above foundation) and 175 m long double curvature arch dam with a crest altitude of 181 m. The volume of the dam is 70,000 m³. The dam features an uncontrolled
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 t ...
over the dam (maximum discharge 2,200 m³/s) and one bottom outlet (maximum discharge 200 m³/s).
Reservoir
At full reservoir level of 175 m the reservoir of the dam has a surface area of 5 km² and a total capacity of 48.4 mio. m³; its active capacity is 15.22 (7.9)
mio. m³.
Power plant
The
hydroelectric power plant began operations in 1955. 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 44
(50)
. Its average annual generation is 153.2
(140,
157,2
or 162
)
GWh.
The power station contains 2
Francis turbine-generators with 25 MW (28
MVA) each in a surface powerhouse at the right side of the dam. The turbine rotation is 214.3 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 52.5 m, the maximum 56.5 m. Maximum flow per turbine is 50 m³/s.
See also
*
List of power stations in Portugal
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Portugal
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouca Dam
Dams in Portugal
Hydroelectric power stations in Portugal
Arch dams
Dams completed in 1955
Energy infrastructure completed in 1955
1955 establishments in Portugal
Buildings and structures in Leiria District