The Lipno Reservoir ( cs, přehrada Lipno) is a dam and
hydroelectric plant
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
constructed along the
Vltava
Vltava ( , ; german: Moldau ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, and finally merging with the Labe at ...
River in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. It is the largest water area in the Czech Republic.
History
Due to frequent flooding and subsequent damage, the Vltava River in
Southern Bohemia
The South Bohemian Region ( cs, Jihočeský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western part ...
was problematic for
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov (; german: Krumau, , or ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The historic centre with the Český Krumlov Castle complex is protected by law as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#M ...
and other settlements situated on it. To harness the power of the river, and to prevent continued catastrophe, it was decided that a hydroelectric plant would be built high on the Vltava. Preparatory work at the municipality of
Lipno nad Vltavou Lipno may refer to the following locations:
;Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Lipno (Ljubuški), a village in the municipality of Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina
;Czech Republic
* Lipno (Louny District), a village and municipality (obec) in the Ústí n ...
began in 1951. Construction on the dam began in 1952, and the dam was completed in 1960.
Geography
The stream bed of the Vltava near Lipno was chosen because it has a slight incline, facilitating the construction of a reservoir there. The dam is built along the highest-elevated stage of the Vltava River's cascade (roughly 726 metres above sea level), thus enabling large amounts of
hydropower
Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of ...
out-put. This area is mountainous, and borders the
Šumava National Park and Nature Reserve. A smaller reservoir near
Vyšší Brod
Vyšší Brod (; german: Hohenfurth) is a town in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,500 inhabitants. It is the southernmost municipality in the Czech Republic. Vyšší Brod Monastery, an i ...
is linked to the main reservoir by an artificial underground waterway. This smaller reservoir, named 'Lipno II', serves to level the water of the main reservoir.
Power plant
Lipno Hydro Power Plant has two turbines with a nominal capacity of 64
MW each
Lipno Hydro Power Plant
/ref> having a total capacity of 128 MW.
References
External links
*
http://www.pvl.cz
{{Authority control
Hydroelectric power stations in the Czech Republic
Dams in the Czech Republic
Dams completed in 1960
Český Krumlov District
Bohemian Forest
Reservoirs in the Czech Republic