Caniçada Dam

Caniçada Dam (Hydroelectric Dam of Cávado-Caniçada)
Location of Caniçada Dam (Hydroelectric Dam of Cávado-Caniçada) in Portugal
Official name	Barragem da Caniçada/HICA-Hidroeléctrica do Cávado-Caniçada
Location	Braga, Vieira do Minho, Parada do Bouro
Coordinates	41°39′10.8″N 8°13′51.6″W
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Opening date	1955
Owner(s)	Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete arch dam
Impounds	Cávado River
Height (foundation)	76 m (249 ft)
Length	246 m (807 ft)
Elevation at crest	163 m (535 ft)
Dam volume	90,000 m^3 (3,200,000 cu ft)
Spillway type	Over the dam
Spillway capacity	1,700 m^3/s (1.4 acre⋅ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity	170,600,000 m^3 (138,300 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity	159,300,000 m^3 (129,100 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	6.89 km^2 (2.66 sq mi)
Normal elevation	162 m (531 ft)
Operator(s)	Energias de Portugal
Commission date	1954
Hydraulic head	121 m (397 ft) (max)
Turbines	2 x 31 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	62 MW
Annual generation	337.4 GWh

The Caniçada Dam (Portuguese: Barragem da Caniçada/HICA-Hidroeléctrica do Cávado-Caniçada; Portuguese pronunciation: [bɐˈʁaʒɐ̃j dɐ kɐniˈsaðɐ]) is a concrete arch dam on the Cávado River, the civil parish of Parada do Bouro, in the municipality of Vieira do Minho, in the Portuguese Norte (district of Braga). It is owned by Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade (CPPE).[1]

History

The dam was completed and began functioning in 1955.[2]

In 196, approval was obtained to begin a program of observation of the dam, as proposed by the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (Civil Engineering National Laboratory).[2]

Architecture

Caniçada Dam is a 76 metres (249 ft) tall (height above foundation) and 246 metres (807 ft) long arch dam with a crest altitude of 163 metres (535 ft). The volume of the dam is 90,000 cubic metres (3,200,000 cu ft).[2] The dam features a spillway with 4 gates over the dam with a maximum discharge 1,700 cubic metres per cubic foot (2,100,000 cu ft/m^3) per second, and one bottom outlet with maximum discharge 142 cubic metres (5,000 cu ft) per second.[2][1]

Reservoir

At full reservoir level of 163 metres (535 ft) the reservoir of the dam has a surface area of 783 square kilometres (302 sq mi) of 6.89 (5.78)[3] km^2 and a total capacity of 170.6 mio. m³; its active capacity is 159.3 (144,4)[4] mio. m³.[1] With the 144,4 mio. m³ water 32 GWh can be produced.[4]

Power plant

The hydroelectric power plant went operational in 1954. It is operated by EDP. The plant has a nameplate capacity of 62[3][4] (60[5][6] or 100[7]) MW. Its average annual generation is 337.4[4] (283,[6] 345[3] or 346[1][5]) GWh. The power station contains 2 Francis turbine-generators with 31 MW (34 MVA) each in an underground powerhouse 134[5] m below the surface. The turbine rotation is 300 rpm. The minimum hydraulic head is 77 m, the maximum 121 m. Maximum flow per turbine is 34 m³/s.[4] The turbines and generators were provided by Voith.[5]

See also

• List of power stations in Portugal
• List of dams and reservoirs in Portugal

References

Notes

1. "Caniçada Dam". APA Barragens de Portugal. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
2. Basto, Sónia (2012), SIPA (ed.), Barragem da Caniçada / HICA - Hidroeléctrica do Cávado - Caniçada (IPA.00023994/PT010311110037) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 27 August 2018
3. "Declaração Ambiental 2012" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. p. 23 (21). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
4. "Caniçada Informação Técnica" (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
5. "Canicada Hydroelectric Power Plant Portugal". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
6. "Hidroelectricidade em Portugal memória e desafio" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A. p. 29 (27). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
7. "Hydroelectric Plants in Portugal". Power Plants Around the World. Archived from the original on 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2015-02-24.

Sources

• MOP, ed. (1962), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério no Ano de 1961 (in Portuguese), vol. 1, Lisbon, Portugal: Ministério das Obras Públicas
• "Sistema Nacional de Informação de Recursos Hidrícos" (in Portuguese). 12 March 2005. Archived from the original on 16 September 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2020.