Puntos de Interés
Infrastructure
Saucelle Dam
On the border between Spain and Portugal stands a remarkable example of hydroelectric engineering, the Saucelle Dam or Salto de Saucelle.
This infrastructure regulates the flow of the river Duero at the municipality of Saucelle, forming part of the hydroelectric complex with the highest electricity production in Spain, together with the Aldeadávila and Villarino dams.
The Saucelle Dam and the Aldeadávila Dam were constructed in 1956 with the objective of reinforcing the region's electricity supply. The undertaking was a significant endeavour at the time, employing the most advanced techniques and technologies available. Despite these, twenty-two men lost their lives in the endeavour to complete this engineering feat.
In terms of the technical aspects of the Saucelle Dam, it is first and foremost worthy of note that it harnesses one of the largest rivers in Spain, the Duero. For this purpose, the drop is 83 metres, of which 62 metres are of usable height. At the time of its inauguration, the facility was equipped with four sets of alternator turbines, each with an output of 85,000 steam horsepower. Today, the waterfall has an output of 240 MW, generated by four turbines.
In 1965, the complex was reinforced with the construction of the Villarino waterfall at the Almendra Dam. In 1986 and 1989, the Aldeadávila and Saucelle dams were strengthened, respectively, with the construction of Aldeadávila II and Saucelle II.
The recently constructed intake at Saucelle Dam will accommodate two new turbines with an installed capacity of 285 MW. The Saucelle Dam currently exhibits an average annual production of 900 GWh. This complex to the existing infrastructure is estimated to produce an average of 5,000 GWh, which would account for approximately 40% of the total hydroelectric production of Castilla y León and approximately 12% of the national production.