Tocoma Dam

Tocoma Dam
Tocoma Dam
	Location of Tocoma Dam in Venezuela
Official name	Manuel Piar Hydroelectric Power Plant
Country	Venezuela
Coordinates	7°54′25″N 63°01′35″W / 7.90694°N 63.02639°W
Status	On-hold
Construction began	2006
Opening date	unknown
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Composite, rock-fill/gravity
Impounds	Caroní River
Height	65 m (213 ft)
Length	Gravity section: 360 m (1,180 ft); Rock-fill section: 1,800 m (5,906 ft); Concrete-face rock-fill section: 3,800 m (12,500 ft);
Spillway capacity	28,750 m3/s (1,015,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity	1,770,000,000 m3 (1,430,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	87 km2 (34 sq mi)
Normal elevation	127 m (417 ft)
Power Station
Commission date	?
Hydraulic head	34.65 m (113.7 ft)
Turbines	10 x 232 MW (311,000 hp) Kaplan-type
Installed capacity	2,320 MW (3,110,000 hp)
Annual generation	12,100 GWh (44,000 TJ)

The Manuel Piar Hydroelectric Power Plant (Tocoma Dam) is a stalled hydroelectric development project in the Lower Caroní River Basin of Venezuela. The project, started in 2006, includes the installation of 2,320 megawatts (3,110,000 hp) MW to generate annual average energy of 12,100 gigawatt-hours (44,000 TJ). As of 2019, the project is unfinished.^[3]

The project was awarded to OIV consortium, consisting of Odebrecht (50%), Salini Impregilo (40%) and Vinccler (10%),^[4] with an initial budget US$3,061 mil.^[5] Ten Kaplan generator units, of 230 megawatts (310,000 hp), manufactured by an Argentinian company IMPSA [es], were predicted to begin operations between 2012 and 2014.^[6] These units had the world record as of 2012 in power generation at nominal head for Kaplan turbines. The diameter of the runner is 8.6 metres (28 ft) and nominal head is 34.65 metres (113.7 ft) with claimed output up to 232 megawatts (311,000 hp).^[7]

The first generator was installed but not yet commissioned in April 2012.^[8] Behind schedule, the dam began to impound its reservoir on 16 November 2015.^[9] The budget tripled to $9,4 billion in 2017, as of 2019 the project is still unfinished.^[3] Odebrecht spent between 2007 and 2015 at least $118 million on bribes related to the project.^[10]^[11]