Central da Serra de Agua

The Serra de Água power station was built in 1953, in the first phase of hydropower use. Until the Vitória combustion plant came into service in 1979, Serra de Água carried the important balancing role in regulating the island's electricity grid.

Today the station is only run at full load at peak times.

Annual energy production is ca. 15 GWh; the capacity is 4,8 MW.

The Serra de Água powerhouse stands just under 2 km north of the village of Serra de Água, at 568 metres.

The pressure pipe splits into 2 branches before the generator house and drives 2 turbines and 2 generators.

The switchgear and relays date from the 1950s and come from Central Europe.

After the turbines the water is collected in a small balancing reservoir and then passed on into the Socorridos system.

The 835 m pressure pipe is fed from a storage reservoir east of the Encumeada pass, at 992 metres.

It is partly open, partly in tunnels, and holds 14'186 m3 of water.

That in turn takes its water from the 1,8 km Canal do Norte, formed by the confluence of the 14 km Levada do Norte Nord (half of it in tunnels) and the 7 km Levada das Rabacas (2,6 km of it in tunnels).

Until 1994 all the water from the balancing reservoir was led into the Levada do Norte Süd, and was thus the basis for irrigation and the drinking-water supply of the area between Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos and, when there was enough water, also for power production at the Fajã dos Padres power station.

Since 1994 the water that is not needed for irrigation and the drinking-water supply (especially in the rainy seasons) has been led through a tunnel system into the Socorridos system, and so contributes a second time to generating power.

Also since 1994, the water of the Levada da Faja do Rodrigues has flowed from the Encumeada tunnel into the balancing reservoir (below the generator house).

Further information on the EEM website