Central da Calheta III

Preliminary note: From 2020, alongside Calheta I power station, Calheta III power station comes into operation. This affects how Calheta I power station runs and what it is for.

More detail is given under Calheta I power station.

Calheta III was built in 2018-2020 as an extension of Calheta I power station, as a pumped-storage plant. The aim is to use the electricity from the wind turbines on the Paul da Serra plateau to pump water, at times of low demand, from the collecting basin up into the Pico da Urze reservoir. For this, part of Calheta I power station was taken out of service. Water from the Levada do Paul 2, the Levada do Paul 1, the Levadinha da Serra and the Levada Velha do Lajeado is led, directly or indirectly, into the Pico da Urze reservoir. From there a pressure pipe runs to the newly built generator house beside the turbine house of Calheta I power station. Water leaving this generator house is no longer sent entirely into the two Levada Nova channels; most of it is diverted into a newly built collecting basin. From there it can, when needed, be pumped back up into the Pico da Urze reservoir. 3 pumps are in use here, each rated at 4.9 MW.

Water from the Levada Velha do Lajeado is a direct feed from the Ribeira do Lajeado, or Grande, into the Pico da Urze reservoir.

Water from the Levada do Paul 2, the Levada do Paul 1 and the Levadinha da Serra is still collected, as before, in the Camara da Carga at the Rabaçal car park, and is also pumped up into the Pico da Urze reservoir by a small pumping station built for the purpose. In 2022 that pumping station had not yet been built, so all the water from the old reservoir runs over a waterfall into the Levada Vinte e Cinco Fontes. This water is therefore turbined at Calheta I power station, and that energy potential is lost.

The Calheta III powerhouse stands at 654 metres.

2 turbines are run, each with a capacity of 15 MW.

After the turbines the water is collected in a newly built storage reservoir of 73'750 m3. This stands at 654 metres as well.

Below the turbine house is the outlet for any additional feed to the western Levada Nova and the eastern Levada Nova.

The pipe that pumps the water up lies south-east of the turbine house:

The pressure pipe:

On the road below, a pressure relief (surge tank) can be seen; the pipes are buried here:

The uppermost part of the Ribeira do Alecrim was secured with substantial works.

Under construction

The pressure pipe is fed from the Pico da Urze storage reservoir at 1345 metres, with a volume of 1'000'000 m3. This reservoir is supplied directly by the Levada Velha do Lajeado.

The old Camara da Carga, south of the ER-110 on Paul da Serra, at 1280 metres and with a volume of 14'000 m3, stays in service.

This reservoir is fed by the Levada do Paul 1 and the Levada do Paul 2, which is itself fed by the Levadinha da Serra.

In total, water from 21,7 km of levadas flows into the Camara da Carga.

From here the water is meant to be pumped up into the Pico da Urze storage reservoir by two pumps of 150 kW each. As of 2022 nothing had yet been built here, which is why water from the Camara da Carga runs, with part of its energy unused, over a waterfall into the Levada Vinte e Cinco Fontes.

Project description as of 2015

Further information on the EEM website

Pictures of the construction work:

Photo credit: Georg Paster and [email protected]. Many thanks!