Nurek Dam

Nurek Dam
Nurek Dam
Location of Nurek Dam within Tajikistan
Location	Nurek, Border of Khatlon district and Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan
Coordinates	38°22′18″N 69°20′53″E / 38.37167°N 69.34806°E / 38.37167; 69.34806
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1961
Opening date	1972-1980
Owner(s)	Barqi Tojik
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Vakhsh River
Height	300 m (980 ft)[1][2][3]
Length	700 m (2,300 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Nurek reservoir
Total capacity	10.5 km3 (8,500,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	98 km2 (38 sq mi)
Power Station
Operator(s)	Barqi Tojik
Commission date	Initial: 1972–1979 Reconstruction: 1988
Type	Conventional
Turbines	9 x 335 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	3015 MW

The Nurek Dam (Russian: Нурекская ГЭС; Tajik: Нерӯгоҳи обии Норак, Nerūgohi obii Norak, Tajik for Nurek Hydro-electric Station) is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan. Its primary purpose is hydroelectric power generation and its power station has an installed capacity of 3,015 MW. Construction of the dam began in 1961 and the power station's first generator was commissioned in 1972. The last generator was commissioned in 1979 and the entire project was completed in 1980 when Tajikistan was still a republic within the Soviet Union, becoming the tallest dam in the world at the time. At 304 m (997 ft),^[1][2][3] it is currently the second tallest man-made dam in the world, after being surpassed by Jinping-I Dam in 2013. The Rogun Dam, also along the Vakhsh in Tajikistan, may exceed it in size when completed.