The Lipno Reservoir () is a dam and

hydroelectric plant Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is 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 sources combined and also mo ...

constructed along the

Vltava The Vltava ( , ; ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It runs southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague. It is com ...

River in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It is the largest water area in the Czech Republic.

History

Due to frequent flooding and subsequent damage, the Vltava River in Southern Bohemia was problematic for

Český Krumlov Český Krumlov (; , ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. It is known as a tourist centre, which is among the most visited places in the country. The historic centre ...

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 nad Vltavou () is a municipality and village in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. It is a popular summer resort. Administrative division Lipno nad Vltavou consists of t ...

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 Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...

out-put. This area is mountainous, and borders the

Šumava National Park The Šumava National Park (, usually shortened as NP Šumava), or Bohemian Forest National Park, is a national park in the South Bohemian regions of the Czech Republic along the border with Germany (where the smaller adjacent Bavarian Forest Na ...

and Nature Reserve. A smaller reservoir near

Vyšší Brod Vyšší Brod (; ) is a town in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,600 inhabitants. It is the southernmost municipality in the Czech Republic. Vyšší Brod Monastery, an important historica ...

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 eachLipno Hydro Power Plant
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 1960 establishments in Czechoslovakia 20th-century architecture in the Czech Republic