Piedra del Aguila Hydroelectric Plant, Argentina

Environment, economy, and energy. There is no area that is not positively influenced by the Piedra del Aguila hydroelectric plant, located on the Limay River, between the provinces of Neuquén and Rio Negro, about 25 km from the town of Piedra del Aguila.

With an installed capacity of 1,400 MW, it is one of the largest in the country. The infrastructure includes a 165-meter high dam and a reservoir covering an area of approximately 292 km², along with a diversion structure and the hydroelectric power plant. The diversion structure consists of a channel and a control structure with a capacity of 4,800 m³/s, controlled by four gates, each 6 meters high and 9 meters wide.

The concrete dam has a volume of 2,742,000 m³. The crest length is 820 meters, and its width at the top is 9 meters. The plant includes inspection galleries every 30 meters in height.

The intake structure is integrated into the dam body with six openings controlled by gates, each 10 meters high and 7.40 meters wide. Four steel conduits with a cross-section of 64 m² and a length of 88 meters are also incorporated into the dam.

The spillway, located on the left bank, is regulated by four radial gates, each 21 meters high and 17 meters wide, and completed by a 98-meter-long discharge channel and an approximately 250-meter-long chute, ending with an energy dissipator in the form of a ski jump.

The power station is located at the foot of the dam and houses four Francis turbine-generator sets, each of 350 MW, utilizing a head of 111 meters. The dimensions of the power station are: length 162 meters, width 68 meters, height 64 meters.

This plant plays a crucial role in the Argentine electrical grid, significantly contributing to the production of renewable energy.