Pracana Dam Explained

Pracana Dam
Name Official:Barragem de Pracana
Location Map:Portugal
Coordinates:39.5649°N -7.8122°W
Country:Portugal
Location:municipality Mação, Santarém District
Purpose:Power
Status:O
Construction Began:1947
Opening:1950
Owner:Companhia Portuguesa de Produção de Electricidade
Operator:Energias de Portugal
Dam Type:Concrete buttress dam
Dam Crosses:Ocreza
Dam Height Foundation:60m (200feet)
Dam Length:245.5m (805.4feet)
Dam Elevation Crest:115m (377feet)
Dam Volume:144000m2
Spillway Type:Shaft and chute spillway
Spillway Capacity:2560m3/s
Res Capacity Total:111900000m2
Res Capacity Active:69000000m2
Res Surface:5.5km2
Res Elevation:114m (374feet)
Plant Operator:Energias de Portugal
Plant Commission:1951
Plant Hydraulic Head:57m (187feet) (max)
Plant Turbines:2 x 8 MW, 1 x 25 MW Francis-type
Plant Capacity:41 MW
Plant Annual Gen:63.8 GWh

Pracana Dam (Portuguese: Barragem de Pracana|links=no) 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.

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.

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 or 102) mio. m³. Minimum operating level is 97 m. With the 95.6 mio. m³ 9.8 GWh can be produced.

Power plant

The hydroelectric power plant was commissioned in 1951 (1950). It is operated by EDP. The plant has a nameplate capacity of 41 (14,7 or 40) MW. Its average annual generation is 63.8 (41, 61.8, or 53) 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. The minimum hydraulic head is 28 m, the maximum 57 m.

Unit Commission date Turbine (MW)Generator (MVA)RotationFlow (m³/s)
1195189.6837518
2195189.6837518
319932528.5272.752

See also