El Quimbo Dam
Dam in Colombia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The El Quimbo Dam is a concrete faced rock-fill dam (CFRD) and hydroelectric power facility in the Huila Department of southwestern-central Colombia, approximately 69 kilometres (43 mi) south of the city of Neiva, on the Magdalena River. It is located about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) upstream from the confluence of the Páez River with the Magdalena River. Its works were officially opened on February 25, 2011 in the presence of President Juan Manuel Santos. It is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country. The project was completed 4 years later, in late 2015.[1][2]
El Quimbo Dam | |
---|---|
Official name | El Quimbo Dam |
Coordinates | 2°27′03″N 75°33′43″W |
Construction began | February 2011 |
Opening date | November 2015 |
Construction cost | US$ 837 million |
Dam and spillways | |
Impounds | Magdalena River |
Height | 151-metre (495 ft) |
Length | 632-metre (2,073 ft) |
Reservoir | |
Creates | Hydropower |
Total capacity | 1,824×10 |
Surface area | 82.5 km2 (31.9 sq mi) |
Power Station | |
Installed capacity | 400 MW (540,000 hp) (max. planned) |
Annual generation | 2,216 GWh (7,980 TJ) |
Hydropower plant |
The powerhouse near the base of the dam has an installed capacity of 400 MW, which is expected to achieve an average energy generation of 2,216 gigawatt-hours (7,980 TJ)/year, with a dam that will have a live storage of 1,824 million cubic metres (1,479,000 acre⋅ft) and an inundated area 8,250 hectares (20,400 acres).[3] The objective is to enhance the energy security and stability of the Colombian electricity supply, meeting about 8% of energy demand in Colombia with energy prospects of 1,650 gigawatt-hours (5,900 TJ) to 2034.[3]
Environmental license to implement the project was granted by Colombia's Environment Ministry, which was announced by Alvaro Uribe, the then President of Colombia, in May 2009. It is the first private sector hydro project to be built in Colombia under a new government policy. Apart from implementing the project, environmental issues that are to be addressed by the Emgesa, the project developer, are compensatory afforestation, compensation to project-affected people (no indigenous people are affected) and the protection of water supplies.[4]
Emgesa will receive, under a 20-year power contract authorized by Colombia's Comision de Regulacion de Energia y Gas (CREG), a price of US$14 per megawatt-hour for the power sold to the department.[4] It is also intended to sell the electricity to neighbouring countries, thus boosting the national economy. The project is estimated to cost around $837 million, invested by Spanish utility Endesa, through its Colombian subsidiary Emgesa.[3]