Deriner Dam () is a concrete double-curved

arch dam An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengtheni ...

on the

Çoruh River The Chorokh ( ka, ჭოროხი ''Ch'orokhi'' , , ''Chorokh'', , , ''Akampsis'') is a river that rises in the Mescit Mountains in north-eastern Turkey, flows through the cities of Bayburt, İspir, Yusufeli, and Artvin, along the Kelkit Rive ...

east of

Artvin Artvin (Laz language, Laz and ; ; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in northeastern Turkey about inland from the Black Sea. It is the seat of Artvin Province and Artvin District.Artvin Province Artvin Province (; Armenian language, Armenian: Արտվինի նահանգ ''Artvini nahang''; ka, , ''Artvinis p'rovintsia''; Laz language, Laz: ართვინიშ დობადონა ''Artvinish dobadona;'') is a Provinces of Turke ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. The main purpose of the dam is

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power production and additionally

flood control Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...

. Construction on the dam began in 1998, the reservoir began to fill in February 2012 and the power station was completed by February 2013. It will have a 670 MW power house and is the tallest dam in Turkey. The dam is being implemented by Turkey's State Hydraulic Works and constructed by a consortium of Turkish, Russian and Swiss companies. The dam is named after İbrahim Deriner, who died while serving as the Chief Engineer of its research team.

Background

In 1969, a survey of the energy potential of the Coruh River was carried out by the Electrical Power Resources Survey Administration and later potential dam foundations were investigated. Based on the studies and investigations, a master plan for the river was started in 1979 and completed in 1982. The feasibility study for the Deriner Dam was not completed until 1987 and was carried out by the Swiss branch of Poyry Energy and Turkey's Dolsar Engineering. Several factors delayed construction of the dam during this period. The cost of relocating roads in such a mountainous area would be high and the need for

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

, not electric development was deemed a higher priority. As the demand for electricity in Turkey grew, the Çoruh Valley Project began its implementation. After negotiations and the signing of a protocol between the Turkish and Russian governments at the 1994 Turkish-Russian Mixed Economic Commission in Moscow, Turkey's State Hydraulic Works was authorized to move forward with the dam. The consortium started with the Russian company Technostroyexport and later expanded with Turkey's ERG Construction and the Swiss companies Stucky (engineering consulting), Andritz (turbines and hydromechanical works) and

Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...

(generators, energy transmission and balance-of-plant). The

environmental impact assessment Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental impact, environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the te ...

report for the dam was completed and approved in 1995 and funding to begin the project was available in 1997. In 1998, the consortium received the site and construction commenced.

Construction

Construction on the Deriner Dam began in January 1998, and by the end of 2005, the Coruh River had been diverted around the construction site and the dam's foundation was excavated and prepared. The river was diverted on the right bank by means of a horseshoe-shaped

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

with an diameter. The foundation required extensive excavation because layers of decompressed rock existed above the sound

granodiorite Granodiorite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. The term banatite is sometimes used informally for various rocks ranging from gra ...

rock. To secure the foundation, over 2,000 re-stressable post-tensioned rock anchors were installed. At the end of 2005, workers began pouring concrete for the dam's foundation but because of funding, this was delayed between September 2006 and September 2007. By January 2008, the dam reached a height of . By mid-2010, of the needed of concrete had been poured and 93% of the project was complete. The spillways within the dam's body were complete as well. On 24 February 2012, the dam was complete and began to impound its reservoir. The power station is expected to be operational by February 2013.

Specifications

Dam

The Deriner Dam is a high, long double-curved

. It has a base width of and a crest width at the top cantilever of . A total of of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

forms the dam's body which also contains its orifice

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

. This spillway consists of 8 x flap gates that can discharge a maximum of of water. The dam's other spillway consists of two tunnels, each on opposing banks behind the dam. The right tunnel is long and the left is long. Each tunnel is controlled by a high, long flap gate. Each of these tunnels have the same capacity as both combined can discharge up to of water. The reservoir behind the dam has a catchment area of , capacity of and regulating volume of .

Power house

The dam's power house is located underground on its right bank and has a width of , length of and height of . Contained in the power house are vertical

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The pro ...

s that have a combined capacity of 670 MW and annual generation of 2,118 GWh. Water is transferred to the turbines by means of a diameter penstock. Once through the turbines, water exits the powerhouse via long horseshoe shaped tail-race tunnels.

References

{{Power stations in Turkey Dams in Artvin Province Hydroelectric power stations in Turkey Dams on the Çoruh River Arch dams Dams completed in 2012 2013 establishments in Turkey Energy infrastructure completed in 2013 21st-century architecture in Turkey

Background

Construction

Specifications

Dam

Power house

See also

References