Zaza Dam

21°48′13.23″N 79°21′20.34″W / 21.8036750°N 79.3556500°W / 21.8036750; -79.3556500PurposeWater supply, powerStatusOperationalOpening date1972; 52 years ago (1972)Dam and spillwaysType of damEmbankmentHeight38 m (125 ft)ReservoirCreatesZaza ReservoirTotal capacity1,020,000,000 m³ (830,000 acre⋅ft)Surface area41.3 km² (15.9 sq mi)Operator(s)Unidad Empresarial de Base HidroenergíaCommission date2008-2009Turbines2 x 1.35 MW Kaplan-typeInstalled capacity2.7 MW

The Zaza Dam is an embankment dam on the Zaza River about 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Sancti Spíritus in Sancti Spíritus Province, Cuba. The dam was completed in 1972 with the primary purpose of irrigation but it also supports a small hydroelectric power station. The dam's reservoir, Zaza Reservoir, has a storage capacity of 1,020,000,000 m³ (830,000 acre⋅ft), making it the largest in the country.^[1] Beginning in the 1990s, the Chinese government helped plan and install the hydroelectric power station. It contains two 1.35 MW Kaplan turbine-generators. The first was commissioned in October 2008, the second in February 2009.^[2]

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