El Chocón Dam
Encyclopedia
The El Chocón Dam is the fourth of the five dam
s on the Limay River
in the northwestern Argentine
Patagonia
(the Comahue
region), at 39°15′57"S 68°45′23"W, 381 m (1,250 ft) above mean sea level
. El Chocón is on the Limay River at about 80 km (49.7 mi) upstream of its confluence with the Neuquén River.
El Chocón is used to regulate the flow of the Limay River, for irrigation
, and for the generation of hydroelectricity
. Its power station
is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Patagonia, with a capacity of 1,200 MW
. It was built by the state-owned company Hidronor (Hidroeléctrica Norpatagónica). It started operating in 1973, and achieved full capacity in 1978. In the period 1974–1995 it produced an annual average of 2,700 GWh. In 1993 it was privatized
, with an exploitation concession granted to Hidroeléctrica El Chocón S. A.
While the formal name of the project is Embalse Ezequiel Ramos Mexía, in common use it ended up acquiring the name of the settlement that served as the construction's base of operations, Villa El Chocón (a small town, population 957, as of 2001).
El Chocón is part of a larger engineering scheme that also includes the Cerros Colorados Complex
, on the Neuquén River
. The Hydroelectric Complex which holds El Chocón and Arroyito Hydroelectric Power Plants, is located in the region known as Comahue, which is formed by the Argentine provinces of Río Negro
and Neuquén
and the southern area of the Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces.
spillway
. About 13000000 cubic metre of materials were used. It measures 2500 m (8,202.1 ft) in length. Its maximum height over the river bed is 87 m (285 ft).
The reservoir
has a maximum area of 860 square kilometre, a mean depth of 24.7 m (81 ft) (maximum 60 m (197 ft)), and a maximum volume of 206000000000 cubic metre. It is used for sailing
, sport fishing
and other forms of recreation by locals and tourists.
The power plant has six vertical Francis turbine
s, with a nominal power of each, which rotate at . The apparent powers
are of for each generator
, and for each transformer
.
Material: Hidroeléctrica El Chocón S.A.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s on the Limay River
Limay River
The Limay River is an important river in the northwestern Argentine Patagonia . It is born at the eastern end of the Nahuel Huapi Lake and flows in a meandering path for about 380 km, collecting the waters of several tributaries, such as the Traful, the Pichileufú and the Collón Curá. It then meets...
in the northwestern Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
(the Comahue
Comahue
.Comahue is a sub-region of Argentina slightly to the south of the country's centre that covers the northern part of Argentine Patagonia and includes the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro....
region), at 39°15′57"S 68°45′23"W, 381 m (1,250 ft) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. El Chocón is on the Limay River at about 80 km (49.7 mi) upstream of its confluence with the Neuquén River.
El Chocón is used to regulate the flow of the Limay River, for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, and for the generation of hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. Its power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Patagonia, with a capacity of 1,200 MW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
. It was built by the state-owned company Hidronor (Hidroeléctrica Norpatagónica). It started operating in 1973, and achieved full capacity in 1978. In the period 1974–1995 it produced an annual average of 2,700 GWh. In 1993 it was privatized
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, with an exploitation concession granted to Hidroeléctrica El Chocón S. A.
While the formal name of the project is Embalse Ezequiel Ramos Mexía, in common use it ended up acquiring the name of the settlement that served as the construction's base of operations, Villa El Chocón (a small town, population 957, as of 2001).
El Chocón is part of a larger engineering scheme that also includes the Cerros Colorados Complex
Cerros Colorados Complex
The Cerros Colorados Complex is a group of dams and hydroelectricity generation facilities on the lower valley of the Neuquén River, in Neuquén, Argentina.-Overview:...
, on the Neuquén River
Neuquén River
The Neuquén River is the second most important river of the province of Neuquén in the Argentine Patagonia, after the Limay River.The river is born at the northwest of the province at an altitude of 2,300 metres, to be feed by a number of streams through valleys of the lower Andes while advancing...
. The Hydroelectric Complex which holds El Chocón and Arroyito Hydroelectric Power Plants, is located in the region known as Comahue, which is formed by the Argentine provinces of Río Negro
Río Negro Province
Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.Its capital is Viedma...
and Neuquén
Neuquén
Neuquén is the name of the following things:* Neuquén, Argentina* Neuquén Province* Neuquén River* Neuquén Group...
and the southern area of the Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces.
Technical details
The dam is made of earth, with a concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
. About 13000000 cubic metre of materials were used. It measures 2500 m (8,202.1 ft) in length. Its maximum height over the river bed is 87 m (285 ft).
The reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
has a maximum area of 860 square kilometre, a mean depth of 24.7 m (81 ft) (maximum 60 m (197 ft)), and a maximum volume of 206000000000 cubic metre. It is used for sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, sport fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and other forms of recreation by locals and tourists.
The power plant has six vertical Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
s, with a nominal power of each, which rotate at . The apparent powers
AC power
Power in an electric circuit is the rate of flow of energy past a given point of the circuit. In alternating current circuits, energy storage elements such as inductance and capacitance may result in periodic reversals of the direction of energy flow...
are of for each generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
, and for each transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
.
Material: Hidroeléctrica El Chocón S.A.