Macho de Monte Dam
| Macho de Monte Dam | |
|---|---|
  Macho de Monte Dam Location within Panama | |
| Location | Tierras Altas District, Panama |
| Coordinates | 8°41′15″N 82°36′32″W / 8.687590°N 82.608967°W |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1939 |
| Owners | Energía y Servicios de Panamá, S.A. (ESEPSA) |
| Power Station | |
| Turbines | 2x Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 2.496 MW |
The Macho de Monte Dam, officially known as Central Hidroeléctrica Macho de Monte, is a hydroelectric power station in Tierras Altas, Chiriquí, Panama.[1] It has an installed capacity of 2.496 MW with a net head of 71.8 metres (236 ft).[1] It is operated and managed by Energía y Servicios de Panamá, S.A. (ESEPSA),[2] which is a part of Naturgy.[3] The dam was rebuilt in 2001 by the new management of the dam.[1]
History
[edit]Originally proposed in 1929, the first structure was inaugurated in 1939, with an initial capacity of 770 KW.[4]
Location
[edit]The Dam is situated on the Macho de Monte River, just upstream of the Macho de Monte Canyon, a popular tourist attraction.[5] It features a weir-type intake in a gallery built into the dam body and connected to the canal; this type of intake is known as a Tyrolean-type intake, designed specifically for rivers with a steep gradient and coarse sediment material, which is the case here. During heavy water flows, between 4.0 and 5.0 m³/sec is diverted.[1]
Size
[edit]The total length of the intake is 9 metres (30 ft), which is equal to the length of the dam. The intake is situated with a 10.00% gradient. The dimensions of the intake are 9 metres (30 ft) x 1.50 metres (4 ft 11 in) horizontally; these dimensions correspond to the size of the grates that hold off any large sediment from entering the water intake. The area upstream of the dam is filled with silt, no reservoir is created by the dam.[1]
The canal begins after the sluice gate at the end of the water intake and has a trapezium-shaped cross-section approximately 5 metres (16 ft) wide, 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep and approximately 990 metres (3,250 ft) long. Most of it is not lined and consists of a section of soil containing rocks from the naturally found in the region.[1]
At the end of the canal begins the steel drop pipe, which has a length of 150 metres (490 ft) and a vertical drop of 71.8 metres (236 ft). The powerhouse is equipped with two horizontal-shaft Francis turbines.[1] The powerhouse is controlled remotely from the Centro de Control de Generación (CCG) vía VSAT,[6] and, situated at the bottom of the canyon, is protected from floods of Macho de Monte River by concrete protective walls. Access to it is provided with a 50 metres (160 ft) high staircase.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "PADE Macho de Monte" (PDF) (in Spanish). 2025-03-31. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ "Resolucion renovació Macho de Monte" (PDF). May 3, 2019.
- ↑ "Naturgy - Conócenos".
- ↑ Ramos, Ramón Oscar Argote. "100 AÑOS DE HISTORIA DE LOS SERVICIOS PUBLICOS DE ELECTRICIDAD EN LA REPÚBLICA DE PANAMA". Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Tripadvisor - Cascada Macho de Monte". 2026-06-30.
- ↑ "Proyectos en Panamá - GPG". GPG. 2025-07-29. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
Esta central, al igual que Dolega, es controlada desde el Centro de Control de Generación (CCG) vía VSAT.
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