El Chocón Hydroelectric Project, Argentina

Production of electricity, irrigation of fields, and regulation of river levels. The El Chocón hydroelectric project in Argentina serves multiple functions, all under the umbrella of sustainability.

The complex, located on the Limay River about 80 km from the city of Neuquén, consists of the following works: an embankment dam, a surface spillway on the right bank, intake works on the left bank, six partially lined pressure tunnels, a power plant on the left bank adjacent to the dam, and a transformation station.

The dam is made of loose materials with a clay core: it has a maximum height of 86 m and a crest length of 2,300 m, with a volume of 13,000,000 m³. The barrier creates a reservoir with a total capacity of 21 billion m³ of water, part of which is used to generate electricity.

In addition to generating electricity (approximately 5,000 GWh per year), the project also contributes to the preservation of the surrounding environment by irrigating over two million hectares of land and regulating the water levels of rivers.

This plant is part of the El Chocón-Cerros Colorados Complex, a vast and integrated plan whose works include two reservoirs that store the waters of the Limay and Neuquén rivers, which merge to form the Rio Negro.