Marèges Dam

Dam on the Upper Dordogne river in Liginiac (France)

Dam in Liginiac

45°23′30″N 2°21′51″E / 45.39167°N 2.36417°E / 45.39167; 2.36417StatusOperationalConstruction began1932Opening date1935Owner(s)Société Hydroélectrique du Midi (SHEM)Dam and spillwaysType of damConcrete arch, double-curvatureHeight89.5 m (294 ft)Length198 m (650 ft)Elevation at crest408 m (1,339 ft)Width (crest)3 m (10 ft)Width (base)19 m (62 ft)Dam volume185,000 m³ (241,971 cu yd)ReservoirTotal capacity47,000,000 m³ (38,104 acre⋅ft)^[1]Catchment area2,540 km² (981 sq mi)Surface area1.2 km² (297 acres)^[2]Power StationCommission date1935/1988Turbines4 x 37.5 MW Francis-type, 1 x 122 MW Francis-typeInstalled capacity272 MW^[3]Annual generation338 GWh^[4]

The Marèges Dam is a concrete arch dam on the Dordogne River. It is located 4 km (2 mi) southeast of Liginiac in Corrèze department, France. It was constructed between 1932 and 1935 by the Railway Company du Midi. Its primary purpose is the generation of hydroelectricity and the original power station contained four Francis turbine-generators.

The dam and its power plant was built to help France become less dependent on costly energy resource imports after World War I.^[5] The fifth Francis turbine-generator, rated at 122 MW, at the Saint Pierre power station, on the left bank of the river, was commissioned in 1988.^[6]

The dam, designed by André Coyne, incorporated several innovative features to include a ski-jump spillway, the right abutment anchored with a prestressed cables and monitored with vibrating wire sensors (emitting an audible signals like a guitar), and a new cofferdam design.^[5]

References

^ "Marèges Dam". Structurae. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ "Mareges" (in French). Comité Francais des Barrages et Réservoirs. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ "Marèges Dam". Industry About. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ "Dams Dordogne" (in French). Dams of the Dordogne. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Marèges (1935)". Planete-TP. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ "Mareges Group" (in French). SHEM. Retrieved 23 April 2012.