Condor Cliff Dam : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Condor Cliff Dam

Dam in Puerto Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Province

50°12′41.67″S 70°46′30.29″W / 50.2115750°S 70.7750806°W / -50.2115750; -70.7750806PurposePowerStatusconstruction on holdConstruction beganJuly 2015Dam and spillwaysType of damEmbankment, concrete-face rock-fillImpoundsSanta Cruz RiverHeight75.5 m (248 ft)Length2,780 m (9,120 ft)Dam volume14,100,000 m³ (18,400,000 cu yd)ReservoirTotal capacity6,260×10^⁶ m³ (5,080,000 acre⋅ft)Surface area275 km² (106 sq mi)Hydraulic head64.47 m (211.5 ft)Turbines6 x 190 MW (250,000 hp) Francis-typeInstalled capacity1,140 MW (1,530,000 hp)Annual generation3,380 GWh (12,200 TJ) (estimated)

The Néstor Kirchner Dam, formerly known as Condor Cliff Dam, is a concrete-face rock-fill dam being built on the Santa Cruz River about 180 km (110 mi) west of Puerto Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It was renamed after the former president Néstor Kirchner, born in Santa Cruz. A consortium led by China's Gezhouba Group was awarded the contract to build the Néstor Kirchner Dam and Jorge Cepernic Dam downstream in August 2013. The consortium will also fund the construction. Both dams are expected to cost nearly US$4.8 billion.^[1] The dam is being built by Eling Ingeniería, the successor of Electroingeniería of Osvaldo Acosta and Gerardo Ferreyra.^[2] The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and its power station will have an installed capacity of 1,140 megawatts (1,530,000 hp).^[3]

In July 2015 machines arrived in Santa Cruz for the construction of the dams.^[4]

In December 2016 Supreme Court of Argentina decided to suspend work on the dam.^[5]

In December 2023 construction was stopped awaiting funding from China.^[6]

References

^ "China will build and finance two dams in Patagonia equivalent to 10% of Argentine power demand". 22 August 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
^ Represas Kirchner y Cepernic | La última gran joya de los reyes de la obra pública Archived 2014-04-28 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
^ "Hydroelectric Projects in the Santa Cruz River" (PDF). Water and Energy National and Regional Integration. Government of Argentina. p. 95. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
^ Ministerio de Planificación - Arribaron máquinas para las Represas Kirchner-Cepernic [web.archive.org]
^ "New Hope for Patagonian River: Dams in Argentina Suspended".
^ Diamante, Sofía (7 February 2024). "La construcción de las represas de Santa Cruz está frenada desde diciembre a la espera del financiamiento de China". LA NACION. Retrieved 8 February 2024.