Yacyretá Dam
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Yacyretá-Apipé (or just Yacyretá, often Yaciretá) is a hydroelectric dam located on the Paraná River between Argentina and Paraguay, 83 kilometers downstream of Posadas City, next to Paraguayan city of Ayolas, and Argentine city of Ituzaingó, Corrientes Province. It was named after the Yacyretá Island (Guaraní: jasy "moon", reta "country"), now 80% covered by the waters of the reservoir, and the Apipé islands, now completely covered.
The dam is 808 metres long and has 20 turbines with a power of 4,050 MW that can produce 19,080 GWh per annum, with maximum water flow of 55,000 Cubic metres per second. There is a canal lock to let ships through the dam overcoming the 25-metre water difference, as well as a system to allow fish to go upstream during their reproductive season.
The project was heavily criticised before construction, as 1,600 square kilometres of land were to be covered by water as reservoir to the dam, which finally eliminated the natural environment of a number of species. As a result, a lot of fish died right after the dam was filled (due to the oxygen difference in the water), and fish mortality is at high levels. The reduction of inhabitable environment has decreased the number of several species of the area. Also in danger were the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes, through suspected underground infiltration. City floods during heavy rains have been also said to be caused by the higher level of the waters. Before flooding the reservoir, new houses had to be built for the relocation of 40,000 people who lived in the area.
Even though it was started at the end of 1983, it was not until 1994 that the dam started working, in the middle of a corruption scandal (often called "The Monument to Corruption"), and after the original budget was largely exceeded. Since 1998 all the generators are working, but the water level only reaches 76 metres over the sea level, which is 7 metres less than the original planned level of 83 metres. For this reason, the dam only generates about 60% of its planned power. While 7 meters may seem like a small difference, because the dam is located on a plain, that additional height of water would cover 500 extra square kilometres and affect the homes of 80,000 people[citation needed].
In 2006, amid concerns about energy shortage in Argentina, President Néstor Kirchner vowed to study the feasibility of finishing the works by 2008. A few months later, the governments of Paraguay and Argentina reached an agreement to cancel Paraguay's debt of $11,000 million, by having smaller countries supply Argentina with 8,000 GWh per year during 40 years in exchange.[1][2]
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Official Argentine site
- Official Paraguayan site
- Yacyretá, Energy of the future
- Yacyretá and Esteros de Iberá (Clarín Newspaper)
- Google Maps Satellite Image of Dam
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