From Water to Watts: Understanding the Lake Arenal Hydroelectric Plant

May 31, 2024

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One Way The Lights Get “On”

The Front Cover Illustrates the Beautiful Power Harnessed at the Lake Arenal Hydroelectric Facility (by Ajejandro Esquivel Hidalgo – FACEBOOK)

Commissioned in 1979, the dam is 230 feet high and the plant generated over 637,000 MWh. The hydro reservoir capacity is 2,416 million cubic meters.

How does it work in simple terms?

Power is generated from the flowing water at the dam. This water is channeled through massive pipes to spin turbines connected to generators. As the turbines spin, they produce electricity by converting the kinetic energy of the moving water into electrical energy.

Arenal is a 157.398MW hydropower project. It is located on the Arenal river/basin in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The amount of power generated depends on factors like the volume and speed of the flowing water.

Once the electricity is produced, it’s sent out through power lines to homes and businesses for use in our daily lives. These hydroelectric plants harness the natural power of moving water to create clean and renewable energy for us all to enjoy.

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