Zimpan Hydroelectric Plant

865,532 m3 of underground excavations, 22,000 m3 of concrete. These figures highlight the grandeur of the Zimapan hydroelectric plant in Mexico. The plant, named after the nearby town of the same name, is located in a mountainous area in the western part of the State of Hidalgo, about 150 km north of Mexico City, and dams the Moctezuma River, utilizing its waters to produce electricity.

The main works of the project are underground, consisting of: a 20,800 m long intake tunnel, with an average excavation section of 27 m², lined with concrete to an internal diameter of 4,70 m; an underground and lined penstock, 1,060 m long, with an internal diameter of 3,50 m, with bifurcations of 2,10 m. A part of the tunnel (about 604 m) has a 60° inclination; a surge shaft 132 m high and 15 m in diameter, lined with concrete to an internal diameter of 12 m. Excavation and concrete lining of the valve chamber. Completing the complex is an underground power station, lined with concrete, 70 m long, 22 m wide, and 11 m high, and a cable and ventilation tunnel, approximately 245 m long with an excavation section of 28 m².