Alqueva Multipurpose Project

 

Alqueva Multipurpose Project is a structural project in the southern Portugal and is considered a key investment in regional development.

The Alqueva Dam is the life-giving feature of the Project and its reservoir guarantees the source of the region’s future, water. Its infrastructures are making Alentejo’s greatest dream come true and making one of Europe’s most disadvantaged regions economically and socially viable.

Alqueva Project is the greatest investment ever made in Alentejo.

The region’s challenge is proportional to its size and opens unique prospects for restarting economic and social development and making an effective addition to the region’s GDPs:

– creating new investments and undertaking new economic activities
– integrating projects and activities and ensuring their complementarity
– creating new and more qualified jobs
– making Alqueva a key brand in terms of quality of products and services
– making Alqueva a benchmark for innovation and technology.

Alqueva is also a sustainable regional project, as:

– it assists the region’s social, corporate and institutional fabric
– it maintains and enhances the region’s character, culture and identity
– it promotes Alqueva as a paradigm of environmental quality
– it lays down criteria of competitiveness and profitability of investments

Alqueva Project is thus a key instrument that integrates and complements business projects, based on the principle of multiple purposes and integrated management of its strategic water reserve.

Alqueva is blazing trails to water. These are trails that lead to the public mains, by reinforcing five dams that supply water to around 200,000 inhabitants, for agriculture, with an equipped irrigation area of around 120,000 hectares, for industry, for generating clean energy and for tourism.

Alqueva Multipurpose Project comprises the following infrastructures:

Alqueva Dam
Height – 96 m
Dam length – 458 m
Total capacity – 4,150 hm3
Full storage level 152 m
Minimum operating level 130 m
Usable capacity– 3,150 hm3
Water surface – 250 km2
Reservoir length- 83 km
Banks – 1,160 km

Alqueva Hydroelectric Power Station
Installed capacity Alqueva I and II – 2 x 260 MW
Total: 520 MW

Pedrógão Dam  (Alqueva counter-dam)
Height – 43 m
Length – 448 m
Total Capacity – 106 hm3
Usable capacity – 54 hm3
Water surface – 11 km2
Length of reservoir – 23 km
Banks – 118 km

Pedrógão Mini Hydroelectric Plant
Installed capacity – 10 MW

General irrigation system
Area – 130 000 ha
Length of primary and secondary network – 2 078km
Dams and reservoirs – 72
Pumping stations – 48
Mini-hydroelectric power stations – 5