Peligre Hydroelectric Dam
| Péligre Dam | |
|---|---|
Lake Péligre
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 Location of Péligre Dam in Haiti
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| Country | Haiti |
| Location | Centre |
| Coordinates | 18°54′02.85″N 72°02′21.96″W / 18.9007917°N 72.0394333°WCoordinates: 18°54′02.85″N 72°02′21.96″W / 18.9007917°N 72.0394333°W |
| Purpose | Power, flood control |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1953 |
| Opening date | 1956 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity |
| Impounds | Artibonite River |
| Height | 72 m (236 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Péligre |
| Total capacity | 297,000,000 m3 (241,000 acre·ft) |
| Active capacity | 249,000,000 m3 (202,000 acre·ft) |
| Catchment area | 6,480 km2 (2,500 sq mi) |
| Power station | |
| Operator(s) | Electricite d'Haiti |
| Commission date | 1971 |
| Turbines | 3 x 17 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 51 MW |
The Péligre Dam is a gravity dam located off the Centre department on the Artibonite River of Haiti. At 72 m (236 ft) it is the tallest dam in Haiti. The dam was created as a flood-control and an energy-providing measure in the Artibonite River Valley during the 1950s as part of the Artibonite Valley Agricultural Project. This dam impounds Lake Péligre.
Despite its purpose of providing energy throughout Haiti, many contend that the energy provided by the dam is not distributed equitably. Furthermore, the dam has had significant environmental, social, and health consequences on the local people who were forced to relocation as a result of the dam's completion. These are points of concern to academics, journalists, and human rights activists who, noting heavy North American involvement in the planning and construction of the dam, believe that neoliberal influences may be at play.
The Péligre dam is in the Artibonite watershed, the largest hydrographic basin in Haiti.
The power plant contains three 17 MW Francis turbine-generators for an installed capacity of 51 MW.
The Péligre Dam was proposed as a means to rehabilitate the agricultural lands of the Central Plateau through control of floods as well as to generate hydroelectricity to fuel the industrial expansion of Haiti. The dam was built on the Artibonite River.This river was the first source of hydroelectric power and irrigation water in Haiti. The dam was popularized throughout the country as a mechanism for increased crop yields via controlled irrigation. Rice grown for export, in particular, was the target of this irrigation intervention. In addition, it was believed that the generation of a reliable supply of electricity from the dam would drive economic growth and reduce social disparity.
Planning and construction of the dam was heavily influenced by the United States of America. The dam was nicknamed the “Little TVA” after the Tennessee Valley Authority, because of its purpose of providing energy for all of Haiti.The dam was designed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It was funded by the Export Import Bank of the United States. Construction on the dam was overseen by engineer André A. Loiselle. The dam was completed in 1956 by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Brown & Root thus creating Lake Péligre (essentially a large reservoir) in the process.
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Wikipedia