Saucelle Dam

The Saucelle Dam is a gravity dam on the Douro River. It is located about 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Saucelle in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. The dam straddles the border of Spain and Portugal but is owned and operated by Spain's Iberdrola. Construction on the dam began in 1950 and was completed in 1956.[1] The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production and it has an installed capacity of 520 MW. The power is produced by two power stations, both located just downstream. Saucelle I was commissioned in 1956 and contains four 62.5 MW Francis turbine-generators for an installed capacity of 251 MW. Saucelle II is located underground and was commissioned in 1985. It contains two 134.5 MW Francis turbine-generators for an installed capacity of 269 MW.[2][3]

Saucelle Dam
Downstream face of the dam
Location of Saucelle Dam in Spain
Country	Spain
Location	Saucelle, Salamanca, Castile and León
Coordinates	41°2′50.05″N 6°48′14.69″W
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1950
Opening date	1956 (1956)
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity
Impounds	Douro River
Height	83 m (272 ft)
Length	189 m (620 ft)
Dam volume	233,560 m3 (305,480 cu yd)
Spillway capacity	12,940 m3/s (457,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity	181,500,000 m3 (147,100 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	73,715 km2 (28,462 sq mi)
Operator(s)	Iberdrola
Commission date	Saucelle I: 1956 Saucelle II: 1985
Turbines	Saucelle I: 4 x 62.5 MW Saucelle II: 2 x 134.5 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	Saucelle I: 251 MW Saucelle II: 269 MW Total: 520 MW