Inguri Dam
Encyclopedia
The Inguri Dam is a hydroelectric dam
on the Inguri River in Georgia
. Currently it is the world's highest concrete arch dam
with a height of 272 metres (892.4 ft). It is located north of the town Jvari
. It is part of the Inguri hydroelectric power station (HES) which is partially located in the partially recognised Abkhazia
.
initially proposed a major dam and hydroelectric power scheme on the Bzyb River
as his favourite resort was located near the mouth of the river at Pitsunda
. However, his experts informed him that a dam built on the Bzyb River would have had catastrophic effects in causing beach erosion at Pitsunda, so in the end the dam was built on the Inguri River instead, where the impact upon the coastline was assessed to be considerably less pronounced.
Construction of the Inguri dam began in 1961. The dam became temporarily operational in 1978, and was completed in 1987. In 1994, the dam was inspected by engineers of Hydro-Québec
, who found that the dam was "in a rare state of dilapidation". In 1999, the European Commission granted €9.4 million to Georgia for urgent repairs at the EInguri HES, including replacing the stoplog at the arch dam on the Georgian side and, refurbishing one of the five generators of the power station at the Abkhaz side. In total, €116 million loans were granted by the EBRD, the European Union, the Japanese Government, KfW
and Government of Georgia. In 2011 The European Investment Bank (EIB) loaned €20 million in order to complete the rehabilitation of the Enguri hydropower plant and to ensure safe water evacuation towards the Black Sea at the Vardnili hydropower cascade.
, the power station is located in the Gal district of Abkhazia. Inguri HES has 20 turbines with a nominal capacity of 66 MW
each, resulting in a total capacity of 1,320 MW
. Its average annual capacity is 3.8 billion kW/h, which is approximately 46% of the total electricity supply in Georgia as of 2007.
. According to the agreement between Georgia and Abkhazia, Georgia receives 60% of produced electricity, while 40% is consumed in Abkhazia and in Southern part of Russia. In September 2008, the President of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh
, announced that Abkhazia will revise this deal while foreign minister Sergey Shamba
said that Abkhazia is not calling for any revision of the power distribution balance at the moment.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Inguri River in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. Currently it is the world's highest concrete arch dam
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
with a height of 272 metres (892.4 ft). It is located north of the town Jvari
Jvari (town)
Jvari is a small town at the northwestern edge of Western Georgian province of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. The town is situated on the eastern bank of Enguri River and its name translates as "cross"....
. It is part of the Inguri hydroelectric power station (HES) which is partially located in the partially recognised Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
.
History
Soviet President Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
initially proposed a major dam and hydroelectric power scheme on the Bzyb River
Bzyb River
Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev once proposed a major dam and hydroelectric power generation facility on the Bzyb River, since his favourite resort was located near the mouth of the river at Pitsunda. However, this proposal was ruled out by his experts who opined that a dam built on the Bzyb...
as his favourite resort was located near the mouth of the river at Pitsunda
Pitsunda
Pitsunda is a resort town in Gagra district of Abkhazia.The town was founded by the Greeks in the 5th century BC as a trade colony Pityus or Pitiunt. Excavations guided by Andria Apakidze unearthed remains of three 4th-century churches and a bath with superb mosaic floors...
. However, his experts informed him that a dam built on the Bzyb River would have had catastrophic effects in causing beach erosion at Pitsunda, so in the end the dam was built on the Inguri River instead, where the impact upon the coastline was assessed to be considerably less pronounced.
Construction of the Inguri dam began in 1961. The dam became temporarily operational in 1978, and was completed in 1987. In 1994, the dam was inspected by engineers of Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
, who found that the dam was "in a rare state of dilapidation". In 1999, the European Commission granted €9.4 million to Georgia for urgent repairs at the EInguri HES, including replacing the stoplog at the arch dam on the Georgian side and, refurbishing one of the five generators of the power station at the Abkhaz side. In total, €116 million loans were granted by the EBRD, the European Union, the Japanese Government, KfW
KFW
KFW may refer to:*Keith Fullerton Whitman , an American musician*KfW or Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, a German public-sector financial institution...
and Government of Georgia. In 2011 The European Investment Bank (EIB) loaned €20 million in order to complete the rehabilitation of the Enguri hydropower plant and to ensure safe water evacuation towards the Black Sea at the Vardnili hydropower cascade.
Technical features
The Inguri hydroelectric power station (HES) is a cascade of hydroelectric facilities including, in addition to the dam - diversion installation of the Inguri HES proper, the near-dam installation of the Perepad HES-1 and three similar channel installations of the Perepad HESs-2, -3, and -4 located on the tailrace emptying into the Black Sea. While the arch dam is located on the Georgian controlled territory in Upper SvanetiaSvaneti
Svaneti is a historic province in Georgia, in the northwestern part of the country. It is inhabited by the Svans, a geographic subgroup of the Georgians.- Geography :...
, the power station is located in the Gal district of Abkhazia. Inguri HES has 20 turbines with a nominal capacity of 66 MW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
each, resulting in a total capacity of 1,320 MW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
. Its average annual capacity is 3.8 billion kW/h, which is approximately 46% of the total electricity supply in Georgia as of 2007.
Operation
The dam located on the Georgian side is maintained by Georgian company Enguri Ltd. The power plant located on Abkhazian side is operated by state-owned Abkhazian company ChernomorenergoChernomorenergo
Chernomorenergo is a state-owned power company of Abkhazia. It is an operator of the Inguri hydroelectric power station. The managing director of Chernomorenergo is Rezo Zantaria. Sergei Bagapsh, the president of Abkhazia, managed Chernomorenergo in 2000-2004....
. According to the agreement between Georgia and Abkhazia, Georgia receives 60% of produced electricity, while 40% is consumed in Abkhazia and in Southern part of Russia. In September 2008, the President of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh was the second President of the Republic of Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and was later elected as President in 2005. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election...
, announced that Abkhazia will revise this deal while foreign minister Sergey Shamba
Sergey Shamba
Sergei Miron-ipa Shamba is a former Prime Minister of Abkhazia, in office from 13 February 2010 until 27 September 2011. Before becoming Prime Minister, Shamba had been the long-time Minister for Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia - from 7 May 1997, with a half-year interruption in 2004, both under...
said that Abkhazia is not calling for any revision of the power distribution balance at the moment.