Iberdrola has taken another step towards full commissioning of the Tâmega Hydroelectric Complex by connecting one of the two turbines of the Alto Tâmega Hydroelectric Plant to the Portuguese electricity grid.
The Tâmega Hydroelectric Complex is made up of three power stations.
The Alto Tâmega Hydroelectric Power Station has an installed capacity of 160MW, the 880MW Gouvães Pumped Storage Power Station and the 118MW Daivões Power Station.
The last two have been in operation since 2022.
The Alto Tâmega Power Station is located at the foot of the Alto Tâmega Dam, a large double-curved vault dam, 105 metres high, with 220,000 cubic metres of concrete and a crown length of 335 metres.
Once the first turbine has been connected to the grid, the second will follow in February 2024.
By the end of March 2024, this plant will be in commercial operation and the entire Tâmega Hydroelectric Complex will be operating with a total installed capacity of 1158MW.
Tâmega project director Rafael Chacon Llorente said: “In a context where storage is key to enabling a decarbonised electricity system, maximising the production of renewable energy and guaranteeing its integration into the system, the Tâmega Hydroelectric Complex has enabled Portugal to increase its hydroelectric storage capacity by 33%, representing an increase of more than 60% in the volume of energy stored by pumping in 2023 compared to 2021.”
The Tâmega Hydroelectric Complex is one of the largest energy initiatives in Portugal’s history, involving a total investment of more than €1.5bn and an installed capacity of 1158MW and an energy reserve of 40 million kWh, equivalent to the energy consumed by 11 million people during 24 hours in their homes.