May
25, 2004
Yacambu-Quibor dam update
(BNamericas.com) - "The Venezuelan
government has spent more than US$123mn on the
construction of the Yacambu dam project in Lara
state since 1999, according to president of Sistema
Hidraulico Yacambu-Quibor (SHYQ), Franklin Quintero.
The dam will supply water to the city of Barquisimeto
and irrigate Lara State's Quibor valley. The bulk
of the spending occurred in 2000-2002, amounting
to US$100mn. So far this year, US$2.1mn has been
spent and approval for a further US$90mn in funds
has been obtained, which will be spent between
now and 2005.
The project has a total cost of US$805mn, of which
the central government is providing US$581mn.
Funding for the outstanding US$224mn still needs
to be secured. The 162-meter dam will create a
reservoir covering 852ha containing 435M cu. m.
of water which will be conducted via a 26km tunnel.
Approximately 22 km of the tunnel has been built
and it is scheduled for completion in 2006. Work
on the dam, the third highest in the world, started
in the 1970s but suffered a 10-year delay. During
the first 20 years of the project, different sources
injected US$400mn in it."
