| Coordinates | 41°16′7.83″N 6°19′13.43″W |
|---|---|
| Construction began | 1963 |
| Opening | 1970 |
| Dam height | 202 m (663 ft) |
| Dam length | 567 m (1,860 ft) |
| Dam volume | 2,186,000 m3 (2,859,180 cu yd) |
| Dam crosses | River Tormes |
| Spillway count | 2 |
| Spillway capacity | 3,039 m3/s (107,321 cu ft/s) |
| Res capacity total | 2,500,000,000 m3 |
| Res catchment | 7,100 km2 (2,741 sq mi)[1] |
| Res surface | 86.5 km2 (33.4 sq mi) |
| Plant name | Villarino Power Station |
| Plant coordinates | 41°15′42.69″N 6°29′36.38″W |
| Plant operator | Iberdrola |
| Plant commission | 1970-1977 |
| Conventional, diversion | Villarino Power Station |
| Plant turbines | 6 x 135 MW Francis-type |
| Plant capacity | 810 MW |
The Almendra Dam, also known as Villarino Dam, in Salamanca, Spain, interrupts the course of the River Tormes five kilometres from the village from which it takes its name: Almendra (literally, almond). It was constructed between 1963 and 1970.
The arch dam forms part of the hydroelectric system known as the Saltos del Duero (in English "the Duero Drops"), along with the Castro, Ricobayo, Saucelle and Villalcampo dams of Spain, and the Bemposta, Miranda and Picote Dams of nearby Portugal.
The reservoir that backs up behind the dam covers 86.5 square kilometres and contains 2.5 billion cubic metres of water as well as several drowned villages, among them Argusinos. The dam is more than half a kilometre wide and, at a height of 202 metres, one of Spain's tallest structures.
The dam supplies the Villarino Power Station with water via a tunnel for hydroelectric power generation. It is located underground about 14 km (8.7 mi) west of the dam. Water discharged from the power station enters the Douro River. The power station has an installed capacity of 810 MW and was completed in 1977.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Almendra Dam" (in Spanish). Spanish Society of Dams and Reservoirs. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ "Conventional Hydroelectric Plants in Spain - Castilla y Leon". IndustCards. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- Estado del Embalse de Almendra (State of the Almendra Reservoir) (in Spanish).
- Estado de los embalses de la cuenca del Duero (State of the reservoirs in the Duero Basin) (in Spanish).
- Evolución de las presas en España, El caso de "Los Saltos del Duero" (Evolution of the dams of Spain: the case of "the Duero Drops") (in Spanish).
- Sociedad Española de Presas y Embalses (Spanish Society of Dams and Reservoirs) (in Spanish).