Author(s): Aitor Fernandez-Jimenez; Victor Manuel Fernandez Pacheco; Francisco J. Hurle-Castro; Eduardo Alvarez-Alvarez

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Hydraulic Engineering; Industrial revolution; Energy; Culture wealth

Abstract: The Industrial Revolution of the early twentieth century arose in Asturias (northern Spain) because of the coal and metallurgical exploitation of the region. Thus, water and energy became a necessity to continue developing the industrial pole that still was in a very embryonic phase. At that time, numerous large hydraulic infrastructures began to be built throughout the Asturian geography. Although in Asturias the average annual rainfall is higher than 1000 l/m2 (AEMET, 2020), it has an orography full of steep valleys that make it difficult to store water easily. Moreover, the construction of large channels to transfer water to the demand points is extremely expensive since there are high slopes and rocky massifs to overcome. Only the application of the best techniques in hydraulic engineering made possible the construction of dams to generate hydraulic energy or water supply channels without pumping systems that bridge a slope of more than 1000 m. One example is the hydropower plant of La Malva located in the natural park of Somiedo. This facility was built in 1917 and provided electricity to 10,000 inhabitants. It uses a total head of 556 m, taking water from a gravity dam of 6 Hm3 and natural lakes. The power plant, that has an industrial architectonical design, has four Pelton turbines with horizontal injector that, even today, provides more than 44.000 MWh/year. The average flow rate is 2 m3/s (EDP, 2020). This power plant has more than 17 km of tunnels built in a karstic massif to transport water from the dam and lakes situated at 1500 meters above the sea. Also, 75 km of electricity mains were laid to transport energy from the mountains to the coast. Nowadays, La Malva continue generating electricity like one hundred years ago and it has been created a museum to show to the new generations this amazing building. This is only an example of the numerous facilities that were built at the beginning of the twentieth century in Asturias and today are still working. Also, these structures have created synergies between the mountainous and forested ecosystems that surrounds it, giving rise to numerous protected natural spaces. This research shows a compilation of the industrial hydraulic heritage of Asturias, analysing the historical construction procedures. Also, the impacts on the environment and on the local culture are analysed, so that the wealth created in this region can be studied. In this way, it is intended to make a comparison with the currently available techniques and evaluate their innovation degree at the time used.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC252171192022479

Year: 2022