Chalillo Dam
Chalillo Dam is located in Belize
Chalillo Dam
Location of Chalillo Dam in Belize
CountryBelize
LocationCayo
Coordinates16°51′41.09″N 89°00′47.56″W / 16.8614139°N 89.0132111°W / 16.8614139; -89.0132111
PurposePower
StatusOperational
Construction began2002
Opening date2005
Dam and spillways
Type of damGravity, roller-compacted concrete
ImpoundsMacal River
Height45 m (148 ft)
Height (foundation)380 m (1,250 ft)
Dam volume140,000 m3 (180,000 cu yd)
Reservoir
Total capacity120,000,000 m3 (97,000 acre⋅ft)
Installed capacity7 MW[1][2]

The Chalillo Dam is a gravity dam on the Macal River about 33 km (21 mi) south of San Ignacio in Cayo District, Belize.[3][4] Chalillo Dam's maximum capacity is 7.0MW.[1][2] The dam was constructed by Sinohydro of Beijing, China between 2002 and 2005 with the primary purpose of hydroelectric power production.[5] It is owned and operated by Belize Electricity Limited (BEL). At the time of the dam's construction, BEL was owned by the Canadian corporation Fortis Inc., but is now owned by the government of Belize. The project budget was approximately US 30 million. Its construction generated controversy over its effect on the surrounding rain forest. Two smaller dams, the Mollejon and Vaca, are downstream from the Chalillo Dam.

Location

Chalillo Hydroelectric Dam is situated in the westernmost part of the country where the Macal River converges with the Raspaculo River. It is located in the Maya Mountains and shares adjacency with the Chiquibul National Park and the Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Positioning Chalillo Hydroelectric Dam approximately 16 kilometers from the Guatemalan border.

Purpose

The primary purpose of Chalillo Hydroelectric Dam is to impound the water in the 46m storage dam during the rainy season and release during shortage.[6] At the base of the dam, through a low level valve, water is released during the dry period. Basically, water is carried from the dam downstream to the powerhouse which protects the generating Kaplan turbines. Subsequent to powering the electric turbines, the water drifts back into the Macal River through the tailrace channel and back to its natural route towards its sister facility, Mollejon hydroelectric power plant.

Production

All necessary equipment and controls required for the production of power is contained in the Power House. The circular steel pen stock which is about 80 meters in length and 2.4 meters in diameter facilitates the transport of water from the dam to the power plant. The Kaplan turbine generators equipped with adjustable blades, modern electronic and hydraulic systems help in the production of power. Subsequently, the power is delivered through the 115Kv line which is interconnected to Mollejon switchyard. Power is then distributed to BEL's grid via Mollejon.

Controversies

The Chalillo Dam has been controversial since its inception and has been the subject of multiple lawsuits.[4][7] Most of the controversy surrounding the dam concerns its impact on the environment, specifically on the ecosystems of the Macal River and the Chiquibul Forest. As described in a report commissioned as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the dam, the area flooded by the dam's reservoir "contains a rare and discrete floral floodplain habitat which acts as both a conduit and critical habitat for resident and non-resident fauna and avifauna."[8] Notably, the area was a nesting site for the endangered northern subspecies of the Scarlet macaw.[8] There have also been concerns about the safety of the dam, as it was built only 550 meters from a fault line.[9] If the dam were to break, it would imperil the downstream town of San Ignacio.[10] Finally, objections have been raised about the economics of the dam. Because the dam would only generate a small amount of electricity (about 6 megawatts), it would not significantly decrease Belize's need to import electricity from other countries, nor would it lower electricity costs for consumers.[11]

Belizean environmental groups sued to stop the construction of the dam. In their lawsuit, they argued that the Environmental Impact Assessment for the dam was flawed and inadequate. The case was eventually appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, becoming the first environmental case ever heard by that body. In a split 3-2 ruling, the Privy Council discounted the flaws in the EIA and allowed the project to proceed.[7][12] The fight against the dam was chronicled in the 2009 book The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw by Bruce Barcott.[4] After the completion of the dam, the Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO) sued Fortis, alleging the company failed to monitor water quality in the Macal River and did not implement an adequate emergency warning system in case the dam broke.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Belize, Chalillo Dam". SinoHydro. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 Soubrier, Géraud (March 2006). "Belize Electric Company Ltd. Belize Hydroelectric Development Technical Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-04.
  3. ↑ Reid, J. (2000). Analysis of the Final Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Chalillo Dam. Retrieved 16 February 2017, from "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2017-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bradshaw, Sarah (8 June 2013). "Amid utilities' plan, a dam controversy". Poughkeepsie Journal. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Chalillo (search term)". RCC Dam Database (Malcolm Dunstan & Associates). Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  6. ↑ Belize Produces Electricity with Chalillo Dam. (2006). The Island Newspaper. Retrieved 16 February 2017, from "Belize produces electricity with Chalillo Dam". Archived from the original on 2017-03-05. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  7. 1 2 Hershowitz, Ari (2008). "A Solid Foundation: Belize's Chalillo Dam and Environmental Decisionmaking". Ecology Law Quarterly. 35 (1): 73–105. ISSN 0046-1121. JSTOR 44321074. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  8. 1 2 Barcott, Bruce (2009). The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw (Kindle ed.). New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. pp. 386–388. ISBN 9780812973136.
  9. ↑ Barcott, Bruce (2009). The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw (Kindle ed.). New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. pp. 443–445. ISBN 9780812973136.
  10. ↑ Barcott, Bruce (2009). The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw (Kindle ed.). New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. p. 250. ISBN 9780812973136.
  11. ↑ Barcott, Bruce (2009). The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw (Kindle ed.). New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. pp. 188, 568. ISBN 9780812973136.
  12. ↑ Barcott, Bruce (2009). The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw (Kindle ed.). New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. pp. 508–511. ISBN 9780812973136.
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