Impounds Xacbal River Total capacity 700,000 m³ Construction began April 2007 Opening date August 2010 | Operator(s) Hidro Xacbal, S.A. Height 10.35 m Construction cost 250 million USD Impound Xalbal River | |
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Official name Planta Hidroeléctrica Xacbal Similar Chixoy Hydroelectric Dam, La Aurora Zoo, Auto Safari Chapin, Gravity dam, Santa María | ||
The Xacbal Dam (Spanish: Planta Hidroeléctrica Xacbal) is a reinforced concrete gravity dam and power plant spanning the Xacbal River in the municipality of Chajul, Guatemala.
Map of Xacbal Dam, Guatemala
A 10.35 m high dam diverts the river's water flow to a sand filter and on through an open conduction channel to a daily regulation reservoir located outside the river channel. A 4.7 km conduction tunnel with at diameter of 4.65 m, directs the water through a 615 m long pressure pipe (diameter 3.55 m) to the power house. The water is diverted back to the Xacbal river channel.
The plant has 2 x 47 MW Francis vertical axis turbines with an installed capacity of 94 MW. A 120 km transmission line was built to connect the power plant to the national grid. Annual power production is estimated at 486 GWh.