The cave of the turbines

Challenge in the dark for the Cerro del Águila dam

The Cerro del Águila hydroelectric project on the Rio Mantaro in Peru was a challenge in the dark. There were no geological studies, and access to the area was prohibitive.

To build the dam, Webuild chose a river gorge, evaluating its course from the top of the mountain. The 88-meter-high, concrete-arched gravity dam with a base width of 62 and a crown of 264, powers a 557 MW hydroelectric plant, the second in the country.

To achieve it, 190 km-long roads were built along the Andes, besides a 5.7 km tunnel to convey the flow to the turbines, a return system with a 1.9 km pressure tunnel and a cave power plant (or turbine hall), which is 46 metres wide, 86 metres long and 18. From there, clean energy is obtained for over 5 million people.