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left abutment, downstream of the dam, augmented by a plunge pool structure. A system of drainage tunnels was excavated into the left and right abutments at the foot of the main dam. The Bekhme Dam is designed with a central clay core, two upstream and downstream filter zones, and rockfill shoulders (limestone). 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 (39 sq mi). There is a potential for a pumped-storage scheme (several gigawatts) to be constructed on the left abutment; that still requires further optimisation and investigation.
309:). Construction on the project started in 1987 with 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 sanctions 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-metre (148 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.
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The dam project involves a 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. Those tunnels emerge through one structure on the
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The main purposes of the dam would be to produce 1,500 MW of hydro-electricity and to manage flooding. If completed, the 230-metre (750 ft) high Bekhme Dam will be the largest in Iraq. Construction on the dam began in 1979 and was halted during the
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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
346:. 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.
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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
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After the Gulf War, US$ 175 million worth of equipment were reported to have been stolen by Kurds in the area.
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The Bekhme Dam was planned in the 1950s with a preliminary study done by
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438:"Iraqi Kurds to rebuild Bakhma dam they had looted in 1990s"
386:"Gelo Başûrê Kurdistanê dikare Iraqê bê av û tênî bihêle?"
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601:Proposed renewable energy power stations in Iraq
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364:"بەنداوی بێخمە لەپێناو بنبڕكردنی دكتاتۆریەت"
249:) is an unfinished multi-purpose rock-fill
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289:began efforts to rebuild the Bekhme Dam.
459:"Bekhme Dam Raises Water Shortage Fears"
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257:60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of
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596:Proposed hydroelectric power stations
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576:Hydroelectric power stations in Iraq
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412:"Iraq's Hoover Dam That Never Was"
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207:100 km (39 sq mi)
196:17 km (4.1 cu mi)
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342:and the 11th century BC village
323:One of the tunnels of Bekhme Dam
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414:. 15 March 2016. Archived from
50:Location of Bekhme Dam in Iraq
19:Dam in Erbil Governorate, Iraq
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287:Kurdistan Regional Government
591:Geography of Iraqi Kurdistan
247:بەنداوی بێخمە ,Bendava Bêxme
571:Dams on the Great Zab River
180:600 m (2,000 ft)
145:Ministry of Water Resources
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133:; US$ 2,600,000,000
285:. In post-2003 Iraq, the
169:230 m (750 ft)
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129:US$ 1,400,000,000
548:Renewable energy portal
440:. Ekurd.net. 2007-07-04
221:Installed capacity
118:Construction began
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135:(estimated total cost)
126:Construction cost
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299:Harza Engineering Co.
94:36.70083°N 44.27111°E
293:Initial construction
495:Costs of Bekhme Dam
483:Report I Bekhme Dam
344:Zawi Chemi Shanidar
193:Total capacity
90: /
485:, from archive.org
418:on 2 December 2016
335:Government of Iraq
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99:36.70083; 44.27111
16:Dam in Erbil, Iraq
586:Erbil Governorate
305:Hidrogradnja and
263:Erbil Governorate
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204:Surface area
151:Dam and spillways
63:Erbil Governorate
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581:Rock-filled dams
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566:Dams in Iraq
534:Water portal
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394:. Retrieved
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520:Iraq portal
396:25 December
370:25 December
141:Operator(s)
97: /
73:Coordinates
560:Categories
469:2009-10-05
444:2016-05-29
350:References
239:Bekhme Dam
113:Unfinished
85:44°16′16″E
82:36°42′03″N
25:Bekhme Dam
261:, in the
255:Great Zab
230:(planned)
209:(planned)
198:(planned)
188:Reservoir
182:(planned)
171:(planned)
160:Great Zab
131:(to date)
283:Gulf War
156:Impounds
59:Location
422:25 June
253:on the
243:Kurdish
225:1,500
177:Length
166:Height
110:Status
390:Rûdaw
259:Erbil
424:2016
398:2019
372:2019
303:ENKA
271:Iraq
237:The
121:1979
67:Iraq
265:of
251:dam
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227:MW
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
