Pracana Dam

Pracana Dam
Location of Pracana Dam in Portugal
Official name	Barragem de Pracana
Country	Portugal
Location	municipality Mação, Santarém District
Coordinates	39°33′53.8″N 7°48′43.8″W
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1947
Opening date	1950
Owner(s)	Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade
Operator(s)	Energias de Portugal
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete buttress dam
Impounds	Ocreza
Height (foundation)	60 m (200 ft)
Length	245.5 m (805 ft)
Elevation at crest	115 m (377 ft)
Dam volume	144,000 m^3 (5,100,000 cu ft)
Spillway type	Shaft and chute spillway
Spillway capacity	2,560 m^3/s (90,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity	111,900,000 m^3 (90,700 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity	69,000,000 m^3 (56,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	5.5 km^2 (2.1 sq mi)
Normal elevation	114 m (374 ft)
Operator(s)	Energias de Portugal
Commission date	1951
Hydraulic head	57 m (187 ft) (max)
Turbines	2 x 8 MW, 1 x 25 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	41 MW
Annual generation	63.8 GWh

Pracana Dam (Portuguese: Barragem de Pracana) is a concrete buttress dam on the Ocreza, a right (northern) tributary of the Tagus. It is located in the municipality Mação, in Santarém District, Portugal.

Construction of the dam began in 1947. The dam was completed in 1950. It is owned by Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade (CPPE). The dam is used for power generation.[1]

Dam

Pracana Dam is a 60 m tall (height above foundation) and 245.5 m long buttress dam with a crest altitude of 115 m. The volume of the dam is 144,000 m³. There is one shaft spillway on the right side of the dam and a chute spillway on the left side. The combined maximum discharge is 2,560 m³/s. There is also a bottom outlet which can discharge up to 52 m³/s.[1]

Reservoir

At full reservoir level of 114 m the reservoir of the dam has a surface area of 5.5 km² and a total capacity of 111.9 mio. m³. The active capacity is 69 (95.6[2] or 102[3]) mio. m³. Minimum operating level is 97 m.[1] With the 95.6 mio. m³ 9.8 GWh can be produced.[2]

Power plant

The hydroelectric power plant was commissioned in 1951[4] (1950).[3] It is operated by EDP. The plant has a nameplate capacity of 41[2][4][5] (14,7[3] or 40[1]) MW. Its average annual generation is 63.8[2] (41,[3] 61.8,[1][5] or 53[4]) GWh.

The power station contains 3 Francis turbine-generators in a surface powerhouse located at the toe of the dam. The first 2 units were commissioned in 1951, the third in 1993.[4] The minimum hydraulic head is 28 m, the maximum 57 m.[2]

Unit [2]	Commission date [4]	Turbine (MW)	Generator (MVA)	Rotation	Flow (m³/s)
1	1951	8	9.68	375	18
2	1951	8	9.68	375	18
3	1993	25	28.5	272.7	52

See also

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

References

1. "PRACANA DAM". APA Barragens de Portugal. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
2. "Pracana Informação Técnica" (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
3. "Hidroelectricidade em Portugal memória e desafio" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A. p. 30 (28). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
4. "DECLARAÇÃO AMBIENTAL 2012" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Energias de Portugal. pp. 52 (50). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
5. "Pracana Hydroelectric Power Plant Portugal". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2015-02-18.