Press release
23 December 2024Shortly following the inauguration of a Hydroplus system on the primary spillway, the Urrá Dam in Colombia faced historic flood levels, much greater than any previously encountered.
Thanks to the combined use of fusegates and flapgates installed by Hydroplus, operators were able to control flood levels in optimal conditions and limit restored flow (downstream) to 1,600 m³/s even as the peak flow (upstream) reached rates up to 4,000 m³/s.
Fusegates demonstrated their stability under severe operating conditions. The fusegate-equipped spillway was able to evaluate discharge limits during initial flooding, increase routing capacity1 by more than 120,000,000 m³, limit downstream damage, and consistently increase production at the hydro-electric power-generation plant, which has a total capacity of 340 MW.
To date, the Urrá Dam is the only dam in Latin America equipped with fusegates. The benefits associated with this technology are sure to lead to future opportunities for Hydroplus in this part of the world.
Read the article: Hydroplus upgrades the Urrá Dam in Colombia with Fusegates.
¹Flood-protection mitigation
