Cerrón Grande Dam

Cerrón Grande Dam
Official name	Central Hidroeléctrica Cerrón Grande
Location	Chalatenango (El Salvador)
Coordinates	14°45′40″N 90°30′11″W / 14.76111°N 90.50306°W / 14.76111; -90.50306Coordinates: 14°45′40″N 90°30′11″W / 14.76111°N 90.50306°W / 14.76111; -90.50306
Opening date	1976
Dam and spillways
Height	90 m
Length	800 m
Impounds	Lempa River
Reservoir
Creates	Embalse Cerrón Grande
Capacity	2,180 million m³
Surface area	135 km²
Bridge
Toll	N/A

The Cerrón Grande Hydroelectric Dam (Spanish: Central Hidroeléctrica Cerrón Grande) spans the Lempa River 78 km north of San Salvador in the municipalities of Potonico, (Chalatenango) and Jutiapa (Cabañas) in El Salvador.

The concrete gravity dam has a height of 90 m and a length of 800 m. The dam's reservoir has a surface area of 135 km² and a capacity of 2,180 million m³.^[1]

The hydroelectric power plant was fitted with 2 x 67.5 MWe Francis turbines with a total capacity of 135 Mwe. Major maintenance work carried out between 2003-2007 included replacing the turbines with 2 x 85 MWe units with a total capacity of 170 MWe, which generate 488 GWh per year.^[1]

Cerrón Grande Lake

The Cerrón Grande reservoir (Spanish: Embalse Cerrón Grande), locally known as Suchitlán Lake, is the largest body of fresh water in El Salvador.^[2][3]

See also

• Electricity sector in El Salvador

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Central Hidroeléctrica Cerrón Grande". Comisión Ejecutiva Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa (CEL). http://www.cel.gob.sv/?categoria=146. Retrieved 2009-05-04. 
2. ^ "Descripción de embalses de El Salvador" (pdf). Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (OIRSA). 2005. http://ns1.oirsa.org.sv/aplicaciones/subidoarchivos/BibliotecaVirtual/EmbalsesSalvador.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-04. 
3. ^ "Water Resources Assessment of El Salvador" (pdf). United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 1998. http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/en/wra/ElSalvador/El%20Salvador%20WRA%20English.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-04.