Peligre Hydroelectric Dam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Peligre Dam is a hydroelectric dam located off the Centre Department on the Artibonite River of Haiti. It is the largest dam on the island of Hispaniola consisting of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The dam was created as a flood-control and an energy-providing measure in the Artibonite river valley as part of the Artibonite Valley Agricultural Project in the 1930s. The dam was completed in 1956 thus creating Lake Peligre (essentially a large reservoir) in the process. The Peligre Hydroelectric Plant and its consequent operation was completed in 1971. The plant situated on the dam provides the country with most of its needed electricity.

Recently, spanning over the last few decades, a rapid rate of silt deposition has occurred in the Peligre Reservoir reducing the energy producing capability of the reservoir. The sedimentation is in large part due to the deforestation that has been plaguing the country over the years.

The power plant, though needed, has fallen into near disrepair. The EDH (Électricité d'Haïti), Haiti's federal electricity supplier, has done relatively little to restructure the plant however. As of current, the hydroelectric potential is estimated to be around 173 megawatts. Electricity production, though lacking in sufficiency in many areas, is increasing in part due to the repairs being made on the dam and the stated establishment of several other electrical plants.