Atatürk Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant

Atatürk Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is the largest dam constructed under Türkiye’s Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP). Located on the Euphrates River, this dam spans the provinces of Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır. It serves both for electricity generation and irrigation and is the largest dam in Türkiye and Europe.

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Construction of Atatürk Dam began in 1983 and water impoundment started on 13 January 1990. The official inauguration took place on 25 July 1992 in a ceremony attended by then President Turgut Özal and Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel. The dam’s hydroelectric power plant consists of eight turbines, with the last turbine commissioned on 10 September 1994.

• Installed Capacity: 2,400 MW
• Annual Electricity Generation: 8.9 billion kWh
• Dam Embankment: Rockfill type, 169 metres high
• Storage Capacity: 48.7 billion cubic metres
• Surface Area: 817 km² (Türkiye’s largest artificial lake)
• Flood Control Volume: The third largest in the world by flood control volume and sixth largest by embankment fill volume.

The economic contributions of Atatürk Dam to Türkiye are as follows:

• Energy Production: Since 1992, it has generated approximately 210 billion kWh of electricity, contributing 500 billion Turkish lira to the economy.
• Agricultural Irrigation: It enables irrigation of 800,000 hectares, accounting for 10% of Türkiye’s total economically irrigable land. Irrigation activities began in 1995 and currently cover approximately 450,000 hectares.
• Annual Economic Contribution: Combined hydroelectric generation, agricultural irrigation and flood control functions are estimated to contribute approximately USD 1.7 billion annually to Türkiye’s economy.

The lake created by Atatürk Dam has also generated significant opportunities in aquaculture, tourism and water transport. Fish farming is practiced in the lake, particularly of carp species. Additionally, the dam region welcomes approximately 50,000 tourists annually.

Atatürk Dam is Türkiye’s largest hydroelectric power plant and provides 10% of the country’s total hydroelectric generation. To ensure its long-term functionality, the Keban and Karakaya Dams upstream on the Euphrates River filter sediments before they reach Atatürk Dam’s reservoir, thereby reducing siltation. This arrangement is a crucial advantage that ensures the dam will continue to operate effectively for many decades.