Seira Hydroelectric Plant

The Seira plant stands on the River Ésera next to the N-260 highway on the east of Seira in the Spanish Pyrenees. It is immaculately preserved. It was built between 1912 and 1918 to supply electricity to textile factories near Barcelona. It now supplies the national grid and is operated by ACCIONA. Its original three Francis turbines produce 37 MW. The architecturally impressive turbine hall is lit by large windows on all sides and has an elevated gallery for the control gear at one end. The transformer house also remains. The penstocks have a fall of 146m from an 8-km tunnel to a dam on the river near Villanova to the north. A colony with a library, church, school and accommodation was built for the workers at the new plant. There is an exhibition about the history of electricity in the ayuntamiento – Seira town hall – which includes photographs and some machinery formerly at the plant.