- Malpaso Dam
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Malpaso Dam Location of Malpaso Dam
Official name Represa de Malpaso Country Mexico Location Tecpatán, Chiapas Coordinates 17°10′43″N 93°35′54″W / 17.17861°N 93.59833°WCoordinates: 17°10′43″N 93°35′54″W / 17.17861°N 93.59833°W Status In use Construction began 1958 Opening date 1966 Owner(s) Comisión Federal de Electricidad Dam and spillways Type of dam Embankment Height 137.5 m (451 ft) Length 480 m (1,575 ft) Impounds Grijalva River Power station Commission date 1969-1977 Turbines 6 x 180 MW Francis-type Installed capacity 1,080 The Malpaso Dam (also known as Nezahualcoyotl and Raudales Malpaso) is an embankment dam on the Grijalva River near Tecpatán in Chiapas, Mexico. The dam supports a hydroelectric power station containing 6 x 180 MW Francis turbine-generators for a total installed capacity of 1,080 MW. The dam is 137.5 m (451 ft) tall and 480 m (1,575 ft) in length. It was the first major dam on the Grijalva River.
Background
Initial construction on the dam sire began in 1958.[1] In 1970, the silting basin was severely damaged during a flood 20% less than the design capacity. Pressure fluctuations caused the stone slabs to detach from their anchor.[2] In 2008, Comisión Federal de Electricidad, the dam's owner, shut down operations at the dam to complete the second stage on a canal project designed to alleviate storage in the dam's reservoir. The canal's construction occurred in three stages and it is was dug through a mud slide in between the dam and the Peñitas Dam downstream. At the end of the third stage, the canal will be able to pass 3,500 m3/s (123,601 cu ft/s).[3]
See also
- Angostura Dam - upstream, first in Grijalva River cascade.
- Chicoasén Dam - upstream, second in cascade.
- Peñitas Dam - fourth and last in cascade.
References
- ^ "Hydroelectric Centrals in Mexico". Explorando Mexico. http://www.explorandomexico.com/about-mexico/6/247/. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
- ^ Kavianpour, M.R.. "The Effective Pressure on the Chutes of Stilling Basins". Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. http://kfki.baw.de/conferences/ICHE/2002-Warsaw/ARTICLES/PDF/228D1.pdf. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
- ^ "CFE to shut down Malpaso dam for canal works". Business News Americas. http://www.bnamericas.com/news/electricpower/CFE_to_shut_down_Malpaso_dam_for_canal_works. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
Categories:- Dams in Mexico
- Hydroelectric power stations in Mexico
- Embankment dams
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