Karun 3 Dam & Hydropower Plant

The hydropower plant is located 28 Km to east of Izeh city in the northeast of Khuzestan province. The dam site is 610 Km from the mouth of the Karun River and at an air distance of about 140 kilometers from Ahvaz city. The main sources of the Karun River are from the Zardkouh Bakhtiari and the Zagros mountain range.

The phase I studies were began by Land and Water Resources Development Company and Acres Company (Canada) in 1978 and continued until 1989. The supplementary studies, as well as the phase II studies and detailed design were assigned to the Mahab Ghodss – Acres Joint Venture and were completed by 1993.

The construction of ancillary works, including access roads, bridges, and temporary camps began in 1991 and ended in 1994. The construction of dam and power plant began in 1994 and ended in 2004.

  •  Use of hydroelectric energy from the Karun River at the Karun 3 dam site
  • Construction of a 205 m high double-curvature concrete dam Construction of an underground power plant with a nominal capacity of 2000 MW (8 * 250-MW units)
  • Annual generation of 4,172 *106 kWh
  • Flood control and annual regulation of about one billion cubic meters of agricultural water
  • The largest reservoir of a double-curvature concrete arch damin the country
  • The largest power plant cavern in the country and among the ten largest power plant caverns in the world
  • Construction of the largest steel deck arch bridge in the country

Dam Type

Double-Curvature Concrete Arch Dam

Dam Height from Foundation (m)

205

Dam Crest Length (m)

462

Dam Crest Width (m)

5.5

Dam Body Volume (m3)

1,000*۱۰³

Total Reservoir Capacity (m3)

3,000 *۱۰⁶

Active Reservoir Capacity (m3)

1,750 *۱۰⁶

Average Annual River Discharge (m3)

300 *۱۰⁶

Discharge Capacity of Spillways (m3/s)

13,395

Powerhouse Type

Underground

Number of Units

8

Installed Capacity (MW)

2,000

Average Annual Energy Generation (GWh)

4,172