CFE implements security measures in Grijalva River dams

The Grijalva River Dam Management Commission (CMPRG) has decided to implement preventive measures to ensure the safety of communities and water infrastructure during the current rainy season, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reported.

The state-owned company explained that the hydroelectric plants located in the Grijalva River basin face challenges that put them at risk during the rainy season, hurricanes and cold fronts, which is why the CMPRG coordinates the implementation of safety measures before, during and after hydrometeorological phenomena that impact the southeast of the country.

The CFE indicated that at the Second Ordinary Session of 2024 of the CMPRG it was reported that policies and extraction volumes from the reservoirs were established to guarantee the safety of the communities and the infrastructure of the dams, lifting tests of the spillway gates are carried out and the main equipment is reviewed to ensure its operation and the safety of the civil infrastructure, in addition to maintaining permanent monitoring of water levels.

The state-owned company noted that during a meteorological phenomenon, the development and accumulation of rainfall, as well as the evolution of water levels in dams and contributions to reservoirs, are monitored 24 hours a day.

He added that when levels rise, the CFE and the National Energy Control Center (Cenace), through the CMPRG, adjust generation in rapid response reservoirs such as Chicoasén and Peñitas, as well as the reduction or closure of extractions from the large reservoirs of Angostura and Malpaso. If necessary, spillways are opened in accordance with the Spillway Operation Policy, and the safety of the population is always prioritized.

Following the meteorological phenomenon, the CFE inspects the infrastructure to identify damage and facilitate a return to normality.

According to the forecast of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), as a consequence of the “La Niña” phenomenon, rainfall of up to 50 percent above average is expected between the months of August and November for the Grijalva Hydroelectric System.