The Shahid Abbaspour Dam (), formerly known as Great Reza Shah Kabir Dam (Persian: ) before the 1979 Revolution, is a large arch dam providing hydroelectricity from the Karun River; it is located about northeast of Masjed Soleiman, in the province of Khuzestan, Iran, and originally completed in 1976.Peter Beaumont, Water Resource Development in Iran, in The Geographical Journal, Vol. 140, No. 3 (Oct., 1974), pp. 418-431 The dam was the first of a series of dams planned for development on the Karun River.P.T. Shourijed, A Soroush, N. Nemati, A.H Izad-doustdar, Karun River hydropower cascade development and its socio- environmental impacts in L. Berga, et al. (eds), Dams and Reservoirs, Societies and Environment in the 21st Century ..., Volume 1, (2006)
The dam is a double-curvature concrete arch dam, high from the foundation rock. Its crest width is .Iran Ministry of Energy News The arch dam design was chosen for the narrow, rocky gorge where it is located. The double-curvature arch design withstands the pressure created by the reservoir with a minimum of concrete, because the shape transmits the force of the reservoir downward and laterally, against the rock foundation; this has the effect of strengthening the dam concrete and its foundation by keeping it in compression.
The dam site houses two power stations, one built in 1976 and another built in 1995. Each contains four water turbines connected to electric generators of , for a combined generating capacity of . The dam's electrical output is connected to the national electrical grid, with most generation occurring during periods of peak demand for electricity.
See also Dams in Iran
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