Azad Dam
| Azad Dam | |
|---|---|
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| Official name | سد آزاد |
| Country | Iran |
| Location | Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | August 2015 (Dam & 10 MW Plant) |
| Owners | Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co (IWPC) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam (Rock-fill with clay core) |
| Impounds | Gura River |
| Height | 125 m (410 ft) (from foundation) |
| Length | 595 m (1,952 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Azad Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 300,000,000 m3 (240,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Operator | IWPC |
| Commission date | 2015 (Conventional) |
| Type | Conventional hydroelectric; Pumped storage (Dormant) |
| Turbines | 3 x 3.3 MW (4,400 hp) Francis-type (Operational) 3 x 170 MW (230,000 hp) reversible Francis (Dormant) |
| Installed capacity | Conventional: 10 MW (13,000 hp) Pumped storage: 500 MW (670,000 hp) to 510 MW (680,000 hp) (Stalled) |
| Annual generation | ~44 GWh (Actual avg.) |
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Azad Dam (Persian: سد آزاد) is a rock-fill embankment dam with a clay core on the Gura River, located approximately 40 km (25 mi) to 75 km (47 mi) west of Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province, Iran. Owned by the Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co (IWPC), the project serves as a critical source of drinking water for Sanandaj and supports limited hydroelectric power generation.[1]
While the main dam structure and a small conventional power plant have been operational since 2015, the project has shifted its strategic focus from long-term agricultural development to emergency urban water security. As of 2025, a major planned pumped-storage power station at the site remains dormant.[2]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]The dam is a rock-fill embankment type with a clay core. Although some databases list the height as 115 metres (377 ft), official engineering reports confirm the height is 125 metres (410 ft) from the foundation.[1] The dam has a crest length of 595 metres (1,952 ft) and a total reservoir capacity of 300,000,000 m3 (240,000 acre⋅ft).[1]
Water Transfer System
[edit | edit source]The water transfer system has been executed in phases to address regional water crises.
Sanandaj Water Supply (Phase 3)
[edit | edit source]In response to severe quality issues (taste and odor) at the Qeshlaq Dam, a project to pipe high-quality water directly from Azad Dam to the Sanandaj water treatment plant was fast-tracked. Inaugurated by President Ebrahim Raisi in December 2022, this 60 kilometres (37 mi) pipeline includes a 480 metres (1,570 ft) vertical pump lift and supplies 57 million cubic meters annually, securing drinking water for approximately 700,000 people.[3][4]
Eastern Plains Transfer (Phase 4)
[edit | edit source]The original goal of supplying the agricultural plains of Qorveh and Dehgolan is only partially complete. While a transfer line to the Qucham Dam was finished in 2021, the final distribution network remains unfunded and incomplete as of 2025, requiring significant new investment estimated at 3,500 billion Tomans.[5][6]
Hydroelectric Power
[edit | edit source]Conventional Plant
[edit | edit source]A 10 MW (13,000 hp) conventional hydroelectric plant has been operational since August 2015. It utilizes three 3.3 MW (4,400 hp) Francis turbines.[2][7] However, power generation has been secondary to water supply; between 2015 and 2024, the plant averaged only ~44 GWh annually, less than half its planned output.[7]
Pumped Storage Project
[edit | edit source]The complex includes a design for a 500 MW (670,000 hp) pumped storage power plant (PSP) intended for grid stability. The design features an underground powerhouse and a 475 metres (1,558 ft) vertical penstock shaft.[8][9] Despite being a project of national strategic importance, the PSP is currently assessed as "dormant" or stalled, with resources having been diverted to the water transfer projects.[10]
Environmental Issues (2025)
[edit | edit source]As of 2025, the dam faces dual threats. A severe regional drought has led to a significant decline in reservoir levels.[11] Simultaneously, the water quality is threatened by untreated sewage from 57 upstream villages, necessitating a new 580 billion Toman sanitation project to protect the reservoir's purity.[12]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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