Usina Hidrelétrica / Hydroelectic Powerplant, Portugal

Usina Hidrelétrica is a 1920s hydroelectric powerplant in Portugal. An abandoned powerplant is always a treat, but this one is something special. These are some of the most beautiful turbines I have photographed, with their blues and greens set against yellow walls and checkerboard floors. Overlooking the turbine hall, three floors up, is the control room. It is huge, with a large centre console as well as two banks running along the edges of the room’s long axis. In the middle of the room is a desk, right underneath a single, ineffectual-looking ceiling fan. I do wonder how much relief that fan offered workers during hot Portuguese summers!

I explored this location during my 2022 Portugal Road Trip.

History of the Usina Hidrelétrica

In the early 20th century, plans were drawn up to construct this power station. Unfortunately, there were many delays in these early years due to technological and economic concerns. With the outbreak of the First World War, all plans were shelved just as the company was getting ready to begin construction.

Following World War I, there was a coal scarcity in much of Europe. Coal, after all, had played an essential role in the war effort. Not only did it keep the ships powered, but it also kept the munition production lines going and the power stations fueled. After the war ended, the importance of hydropower was realised, and many countries began building new sites.

Early in the 1920s, this Usina Hidrelétrica was finished and brought online. It began operations with a single turbine, and a year later, a second identical turbine was installed. This was the first upgrade of many throughout the life of the plan. As time went by and technology improved, more powerful turbines were installed. This most recent and substantial renovation took place in the 1950s.

Usina Hidrelétrica was eventually replaced with a more modern facility, which led to its closure approximately ten years ago.