Infrastructure

Villarino Hydroelectric Power Station

Following the initial enthusiasm generated at the beginning of the 20th century by the scientific advancements made in electricity, engineers and industrialists across the globe were eager to leverage this new technology, extending the Second Industrial Revolution up to the onset of the First World War.

During this time, the Spanish engineer José Orbegozo studied the Duero river, which he observed to possess considerable potential for electricity generation. To facilitate the participation of a neighbouring country in the execution of a project of this scale, the Sociedad Hispanoportuguesa de Transportes Eléctricos was established in July 1918. A decade later, the entity was renamed Saltos del Duero.

The Villarino hydroelectric power station was conceived as a further component of the broader scheme of the Saltos del Duero, whose inauguration would be marked by the completion of the dam, reservoir and Ricobayo power station in 1935. The construction of the hydroelectric complexes would continue until the Almendra dam and reservoir, and the Villarino power station were completed in 1970. The construction of this benchmark in Spanish engineering represented a significant achievement in the country's history, as the Villarino plant, with its 856.5 MW of installed capacity, currently ranks fourth in the national ranking of the largest hydroelectric power producers. This translates into a capacity to supply electricity to 567,000 homes.

The benefits of the Villarino hydroelectric power station extend beyond those previously discussed. It is also a reversible mixed pumping power station, which allows it to utilise the surplus energy produced at night to pump water from the Aldeadávila reservoir and return it to the Almendra reservoir via a series of pumps. This is a highly beneficial feature during periods of peak energy demand, as it enables a significant quantity of water to be released without the concern of losing it. In contrast to other facilities of a similar nature, the turbines that generate electricity are not situated at the foot of the dam. Instead, they are located 15 km from the waterfall at the Villarino hydroelectric power station. After the water was channeled through a tunnel excavated in the rock, 7.5 m in diameter and 100 m deep, the gallery branched off into three smaller corridors of 5 m in diameter. These in turn branched off into two others of 2.8 m in diameter, through which the water was now fed to the six groups of turbine-alternators arranged in each of them. The subterranean complex, accessible via a lift descending to a depth of 450 metres, comprises four underground floors. The granite rock walls, which were blasted to create the underground hydroelectric complex, can be observed.