Bekhme Dam
Dam in Erbil, Iraq / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Bekhme Dam (Kurdish: بەنداوی بێخمە ,Bendava Bêxme)[1][2] is an unfinished multi-purpose rock-fill dam on the Great Zab 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Erbil, in the Erbil Governorate of Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...
Bekhme Dam | |
---|---|
Location | Erbil Governorate, Iraq |
Coordinates | 36°42′03″N 44°16′16″E |
Status | Unfinished |
Construction began | 1979 |
Construction cost | US$ 1,400,000,000 (to date); US$ 2,600,000,000 (estimated total cost) |
Operator(s) | Ministry of Water Resources |
Dam and spillways | |
Impounds | Great Zab |
Height | 230 m (750 ft) (planned) |
Length | 600 m (2,000 ft) (planned) |
Reservoir | |
Total capacity | 17 km3 (4.1 cu mi) (planned) |
Surface area | 100 km2 (39 sq mi) (planned) |
Power Station | |
Installed capacity | 1,500 MW (planned) |
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The main purposes of the dam would be to produce 1,500 MW of hydro-electricity and to manage flooding. If completed, the 230-metre (750 ft) high Bekhme Dam will be the largest in Iraq. Construction on the dam began in 1979 and was halted during the Iran–Iraq War. Construction started again in 1988 and halted in 1990, prior to the Gulf War. In post-2003 Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government began efforts to rebuild the Bekhme Dam.[3]