Bemposta Dam
Bemposta Dam (Portuguese: Barragem de Bemposta) is a concrete arch dam on the Douro, where the river forms the national border line between Spain and Portugal. It is located in the municipality Mogadouro, in Bragança District, Portugal.
| Bemposta Dam | |
|---|---|
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![]() Location of Bemposta Dam in Portugal | |
| Official name | Barragem de Bemposta |
| Location | municipality Mogadouro, Bragança District, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 41°18′3.2″N 6°28′11.6″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1957 |
| Opening date | 1964 |
| Owner(s) | Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete arch dam |
| Impounds | Douro |
| Height | 87 m (285 ft) |
| Length | 297 m (974 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Dam volume | 316,000 m3 (11,200,000 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Over the dam |
| Spillway capacity | 11,500 m³ |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 129,000,000 m3 (105,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Active capacity | 20,000,000 m3 (16,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 4.05 km2 (1.56 sq mi) |
| Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | Energias de Portugal |
| Commission date | Bemposta I: 1964 Bemposta II: 2011 |
| Hydraulic head | Bemposta I: 71 m (233 ft) (max) Bemposta II: 65 m (213 ft) (static) |
| Turbines | Bemposta I: 3 x 79.5 MW Francis-type Bemposta II: 191 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | Bemposta I: 240 MW Bemposta II: 191 MW |
| Annual generation | Bemposta I: 924.1 GWh Bemposta II: 134 GWh |
Construction of the dam began in 1957. The dam was completed in 1964. It is owned by Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade (CPPE).[1]
Dam
Bemposta Dam is an 87-metre-tall (285 ft) (height above foundation) and 297-metre-long (974 ft) arch dam with a crest altitude of 408 m. The volume of the dam is 316,000 m³. The dam contains four crest spillways (maximum discharge 11,500 m³/s) and one bottom outlet (maximum discharge 200 m³/s).[1]
Reservoir
At full reservoir level of 402 metres the reservoir of the dam (Portuguese: Albufeira da Barragem de Bemposta) has a surface area of 4.05 km2 and its total capacity is 129 mio. m³ (active capacity 20 mio. m³).[1]
Power plant
The power plant is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station. It is owned by CPPE, but operated by EDP.[2]
Bemposta I
Bemposta I has a nameplate capacity of 240 (210)MW.[1][2][3] Its average annual generation is 924.1 (918,[4] 1,034[3] or 1,086[1]) GWh.[5]
The power station contains three Francis turbine-generators with 79.5 (70)[2] MW each in an underground powerhouse. The turbine rotation is 150 rpm. The minimum hydraulic head is 59 m, the maximum 71 m. Maximum flow per turbine is 152 m³/s.[5]
Bemposta II
In January 2008 construction began on the Bemposta II power plant. In December 2011 work on an additional underground powerhouse was completed and a further Francis turbine with a 191 MW capacity went online. Its average annual generation is 134 GWh.[6]
References
- "BEMPOSTA DAM". APA Barragens de Portugal. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- "Bemposta Hydroelectric Power Plant Portugal". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- "Hidroelectricidade em Portugal memória e desafio" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A. (REN). p. 29 (27). Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- "DECLARAÇÃO AMBIENTAL 2012" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. p. 39 (37). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- "Bemposta Informação Técnica" (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. Archived from the original on 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- "Bemposta II Informação Técnica" (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. Archived from the original on 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
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