Mequinenza Dam (Spanish: Presa de Mequinenza) is a concrete gravity dam in the province of Zaragoza, Spain. It impounds the Ebro creating a large reservoir, which is called Mar de Aragón.[1] About 35 km downstream of Mequinenza dam is Ribarroja dam.

Mequinenza Dam
Mequinenza Dam is located in Spain
Mequinenza Dam
Location of Mequinenza Dam in Spain
Official namePresa de Mequinenza
LocationProvince of Zaragoza, Spain
Coordinates41°22′08″N 0°16′24″E / 41.368983°N 0.273381°E / 41.368983; 0.273381
PurposePower
StatusOperational
Construction began1957
Opening date1964
Owner(s)Endesa
Operator(s)Endesa
Dam and spillways
Type of damConcrete gravity dam
ImpoundsEbro
Height (foundation)79 m (259 ft)
Length461 m (1,512 ft)
Elevation at crest124 m (407 ft)
Dam volume1,100,000 m3 (39,000,000 cu ft)
Spillway typeOver the dam
Spillway capacity11,000 m3/s (8.9 acre⋅ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity1,530,000,000 m3 (1,240,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area75.4 km2 (29.1 sq mi)
Maximum length110 km (68 mi)
Maximum width600 m (2,000 ft)
Maximum water depth62 m (203 ft)
Normal elevation121 m (397 ft)
Commission date1966
Turbines4 x 96 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity384 MW

Empresa Nacional Hidroeléctrica del Ribagorzana S.A. (ENHER) was mandated in 1955[2][3] by Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) to build two dams on the Ebro near Mequinenza and Ribarroja. Work on Mequinenza dam started in 1957.[1] The filling of the reservoir began in December 1965.[2] The power plant was operational in 1964[3][4] (1966[5]). ENHER was acquired by Endesa in 1999.[6]

Mequinenza Dam is a 79 m tall (height above foundation) and 461 m long gravity dam with a crest altitude of 124 m. The volume of the dam is 1,100,000 m3. The dam features a spillway with 6 gates over the dam (maximum discharge 11,000 m3/s) and one bottom outlet (maximum discharge 160 m3/s).[7]

Reservoir

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At full reservoir level of 121 m.a.s.l. the reservoir has a surface area of 75.4 km2, a total capacity of 1.53 billion m3 and a length of almost 110[2][3] km. The average width of the reservoir is about 600 m, its maximum (average) depth is 62 (20) m.[5]

Power plant

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The power plant contains 4 Francis turbine-generators. The initial nameplate capacity was 81 MW each. The turbines, generators and transformers were refurbished from 2007 until 2010 raising the capacity of the new machines to 96 MW each.[4] Maximum flow is 150 m3/s per turbine.[5]

See also

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  • "La presa de Mequinenza". Wikimapia. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  • "Embalse de Mequinenza". megaconstrucciones.net. Retrieved 2016-04-23.

References

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  1. ^ a b "HISTORIA" (in Spanish). www.mequinensa.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  2. ^ a b c "Embalse de Mequinenza" (in Spanish). www.turismodezaragoza.es. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  3. ^ a b c "REVISIÓN DEL DIAGNÓSTICO DE LA PRESA DE MEQUINENZA" (PDF) (in Spanish). COMITÉ NACIONAL ESPAÑOL DE GRANDES PRESAS. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  4. ^ a b "La hidroeléctrica de Mequinenza ultima el cambio de sus turbinas tras invertir 40 millones" (in Spanish). www.20minutos.es. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  5. ^ a b c "Ministerio del Medio Ambiente - Comisaría de Aguas" (PDF) (in Spanish). DIAGNÓSTICO Y GESTIÓN AMBIENTAL DE EMBALSES EN EL ÁMBITO DE LA CUENCA HIDROGRÁFICA DEL EBRO. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  6. ^ "Endesa absorbe Fecsa y Enher". El País (in Spanish). 1999-03-18. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  7. ^ "PRESA: MEQUINENZA" (in Spanish). SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE PRESAS Y EMBALSES (SEPREM). Retrieved 2016-04-23.