) , image = , image_size = , image_caption = , image_alt = , location_map = Iran , location_map_size = , location_map_caption = , coordinates = , country =

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, location =

Khuzestan Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it cover ...

- Andimeshk , status = O , construction_began = 1959 , opening = 1963 , demolished = , cost = , owner = Khuzestan Water & Power Authority , dam_type =

Concrete arch dam Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most w ...

, dam_height = , dam_length = , dam_width_crest = , dam_width_base = , dam_volume = , dam_crosses =

Dez River The Dez River ( fa, دز), the ancient Coprates (;James Knowles (1835) ''A Pronouncing and Explanatory Dictionary of the English Language'' el, Κοπράτης or Κοπράτας), is a tributary of the Karun River and is 400 km long. It ...

, spillway_count = , spillway_type = , spillway_capacity = , res_name = , res_capacity_total = , res_catchment = , res_surface = , res_max_depth = , res_tidal_range = , plant_operator = , plant_commission = 1962-1970 , plant_decommission = , plant_type = , plant_turbines = 8 x 65 MW , plant_capacity = 520 MW , plant_annual_gen = 1,783 GWh , website = , extra = The Dez Dam ( fa, سد دز), formerly known as Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlavi Dam (Persian: ) before

1979 Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

, is an

arch dam An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengthe ...

on the

in the southwestern province of

. It is about 23 km of Andimeshk city. It was built between 1959 and 1963 under the rule of

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , title = Shahanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Arteshtaran , image = File:Shah_fullsize.jpg , caption = Shah in 1973 , succession = Shah of Iran , reign = 16 September 1941 – 11 February 1979 , coronation = 26 Octob ...

, the last

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

of Iran, with contacting an Italian consortium and is owned by the Khuzestan Water & Power Authority. The dam is high, making it one of the highest in the country, and has a reservoir capacity of . At the time of construction the Dez Dam was

's biggest development project. The primary purpose of the dam is

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

power production and

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

. It has an associated 520 MW power station and its reservoir helps irrigate up to of farmland. US$42 million of the cost to construct the dam came from the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

Background

Impregilo Webuild SpA (formerly Salini Impregilo SpA) () is an Italian industrial group specialised in the construction and civil engineering business headquartered in Milan. The company was formally founded in 2014 as the result of the merger by incorpor ...

was involved with building the Dez Dam. Plans for the dam were finalized in 1957 and construction began in 1959. In 1962 the first generator was commissioned. In 1963 the dam was complete with two of the eight 65 MW

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The proc ...

generators commissioned. The remaining six were commissioned by 1970. In the late 1970s the irrigation of the project had reached of its goal. The dam's current problem is the annual loss of reservoir capacity due to the erosion of soil in upstream areas. By 2006, the reservoir volume was estimated to be DezReservoir-June2016

References

External links

{{Dams and reservoirs in Iran Hydroelectric power stations in Iran Reservoirs in Iran Buildings and structures in Khuzestan Province Dams in Khuzestan Province Dams completed in 1963 Dams in the Tigris–Euphrates river system 1963 establishments in Iran Energy infrastructure completed in 1963