The Alqueva Reservoir, also known as Alqueva Dam, is an arch dam located on the Guadiana River in the Alentejo region of Portugal, near the border with Spain.
It is the largest reservoir in Western Europe.
Construction of this reservoir was halted for almost fifty years, but it has brought about a true agricultural revolution for the entire southern region of the country. Its purpose, in addition to generating hydroelectric power, is to irrigate the surrounding lands.
Indeed, the dam will supply water to 110,000 hectares of new irrigated land and enable the operation of a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity to produce 380 MW, enough to meet the electricity needs of a city with 180,000 inhabitants.
