Bekhme Dam
Encyclopedia
The Bekhme Dam is an unfinished multi-purpose rock-fill dam
on the Great Zab
60 kilometres (37.3 mi) northeast of Arbil
, Iraq
. The main purpose of the dam is to produce 1500 MW of hydro-electricity in addition to managing floods. If completed, the 230 metres (754.6 ft) high Bekhme Dam will be the largest in Iraq. Construction on the dam began in the 1979 and was halted during the Iran-Iraq War
, started again in 1988 and halted in 1990, prior to the Gulf War
. In post-2003 Iraq, efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government
to rebuild the Bekhme Dam have begun.
& Hydrogradinya). Construction on the Bekhme Dam project started in 1987 on the access roads, residential camps, construction facilities and the development of quarries and borrow areas. Tunneling and bulk excavation works started in 1988. The works were halted in late 1990 after the UN sactions due to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and with the onset of the Gulf War, as well as consequential poor security environment. By June 1990, the first stage of the construction was complete, the diversion of the Great Zab, facilitated by an incomplete 45 metres (147.6 ft) high clay core rockfill cofferdam, which was to become part of the upstream shoulder of the main dam, and through two large diversion tunnels.
The dam project involves large underground power house and transformers chamber, largely completed into the left abutment. The power intake and spillway intake are also located on the left abutment, with associated tunnels through the limestone geology. Those tunnels emerge through one structure on the left abutment, downstream of the dam, augmented by a plung pool structure. A system of drainage tunnels were excavated into the left and right abutments at the footprint of the main dam. The Bekhme Dam is designed with a central clay core, two upstream and downstream filter zones, and rockfill shoulders (limestone rockfill). The upstream and downstream faces of the dam are designed with gradients of 1 Vertical to 2.5 Horizontal. The dam project was expected to be completed in 1992, resulting in a reservoir with a capacity of 17 cubic kilometres (4.1 cu mi) and a surface area of 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi). There is a potential for a pumped-storage scheme (several Giga watts) to be constructed on the left abutment; that still requires further optimisation and investigation studies.
After the Gulf War, US$ 175 million worth of equipment were reported to have been stolen by Kurds in the area.http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2007/7/kurdlocal372.htm
and the 11 Century BC village Zawi Chemi Shanidar
. Despite this, the need for water storage in Iraq is important and in August 2008, US$ 33 million was spent on preparatory works for continued construction. The Bekhme Dam's final cost is estimated as US$ 2.6 billion.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Great Zab
Great Zab
The Great Zab , , , ) is an approximately long river flowing through Turkey and Iraq. It rises in Turkey near Lake Van and joins the Tigris in Iraq south of Mosul. The drainage basin of the Great Zab covers approximately , and during its course, the rivers collects the water from a large number...
60 kilometres (37.3 mi) northeast of Arbil
Arbil
Arbil / Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The main purpose of the dam is to produce 1500 MW of hydro-electricity in addition to managing floods. If completed, the 230 metres (754.6 ft) high Bekhme Dam will be the largest in Iraq. Construction on the dam began in the 1979 and was halted during the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
, started again in 1988 and halted in 1990, prior to the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. In post-2003 Iraq, efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government
Kurdistan Regional Government
The Kurdistan Regional Government , , is the official ruling body of the predominantly Kurds-populated Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq...
to rebuild the Bekhme Dam have begun.
Initial construction
The Bekhme Dam was planned in the 1950s with a preliminary study done by Harza Engineering Co., and in 1979 and through the early 1980s the project was redesigned by EPDC of Japan. Construction was assigned to a consortium of Turkish-Yugoslavian firms (ENKAEnka Insaat ve Sanayi A.S.
Enka İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş. is a Turkish construction conglomerate based in Istanbul. Enka has 37 subsidiaries engaged in a diverse range of construction activities including power generation, airports, petroleum, and roadways...
& Hydrogradinya). Construction on the Bekhme Dam project started in 1987 on the access roads, residential camps, construction facilities and the development of quarries and borrow areas. Tunneling and bulk excavation works started in 1988. The works were halted in late 1990 after the UN sactions due to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and with the onset of the Gulf War, as well as consequential poor security environment. By June 1990, the first stage of the construction was complete, the diversion of the Great Zab, facilitated by an incomplete 45 metres (147.6 ft) high clay core rockfill cofferdam, which was to become part of the upstream shoulder of the main dam, and through two large diversion tunnels.
The dam project involves large underground power house and transformers chamber, largely completed into the left abutment. The power intake and spillway intake are also located on the left abutment, with associated tunnels through the limestone geology. Those tunnels emerge through one structure on the left abutment, downstream of the dam, augmented by a plung pool structure. A system of drainage tunnels were excavated into the left and right abutments at the footprint of the main dam. The Bekhme Dam is designed with a central clay core, two upstream and downstream filter zones, and rockfill shoulders (limestone rockfill). The upstream and downstream faces of the dam are designed with gradients of 1 Vertical to 2.5 Horizontal. The dam project was expected to be completed in 1992, resulting in a reservoir with a capacity of 17 cubic kilometres (4.1 cu mi) and a surface area of 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi). There is a potential for a pumped-storage scheme (several Giga watts) to be constructed on the left abutment; that still requires further optimisation and investigation studies.
After the Gulf War, US$ 175 million worth of equipment were reported to have been stolen by Kurds in the area.http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2007/7/kurdlocal372.htm
Current project
As early as July 2007, the Kurdistan Regional Government has expressed interest in finishing the Bekhme Dam in order to produce hydro-electricity and store needed water. However, with a drought in Iraq, in 2008 the Government of Iraq expressed concern with the Kurdistan Regional Government over dam construction that may lead to water shortages in southern Iraq. In addition, around 20,000 people would be relocated along with the probable flooding of the stone age Shanidar CaveShanidar
Shanidar Cave is an archaeological site in the Zagros Mountains in Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The site is located in the valley of the Great Zab...
and the 11 Century BC village Zawi Chemi Shanidar
Shanidar
Shanidar Cave is an archaeological site in the Zagros Mountains in Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The site is located in the valley of the Great Zab...
. Despite this, the need for water storage in Iraq is important and in August 2008, US$ 33 million was spent on preparatory works for continued construction. The Bekhme Dam's final cost is estimated as US$ 2.6 billion.