Kajaki Dam

Kajaki Dam
Aerial view of the Kajaki Dam in 2007
Kajaki Dam is located in Afghanistan
Kajaki Dam
Location of Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan
CountryAfghanistan
LocationKajaki District, Helmand Province
Coordinates32°19′19″N 65°7′8″E / 32.32194°N 65.11889°E / 32.32194; 65.11889
PurposeIrrigation and electricity
StatusOperational
Construction began1951
Opening date1953
Owner(s)Ministry of Energy and Water
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment
ImpoundsHelmand River
Height100 m (330 ft)
Length270 m (890 ft)
Width (crest)10 m (33 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity1,715×10^6 m3 (1,390,373 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity1,134×10^6 m3 (919,349 acre⋅ft)
Power Station
Operator(s)Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority (HAVA)
Commission date1975
Turbines2 x 16.5 MW, 1 x 18.5 MW Francis-type[1]
Installed capacity51 MW[2][3]

The Kajaki Dam is "an earth and rockfill embankment type dam"[4] located on the Helmand River in the Kajaki District of Helmand Province in Afghanistan, about 161 km (100 mi) northwest of Kandahar. It has a hydroelectric power station, which is operated by the Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority through the Ministry of Energy and Water.

Kajaki Dam has a dual function, to provide electricity and to irrigate some 263,045 ha (650,000 acres) or 1,800 km2 (690 sq mi) of an otherwise arid land. Water discharging from the dam traverses some 300 miles (500 km) of downstream irrigation canals feeding farmland. As of July 2022 it produces up to 151 megawatts (MW) of electricity.[2][3]

The dam is 100 m (328 ft) high and 270 m (890 ft) long, with a gross storage capacity of 1,715,000,000 m3 (1,390,373 acre⋅ft) of fresh water. The dam controls the output of the main watershed which feeds the Sistan Basin.

  1. ^ "Hydroelectric Power Plants in Afghanistan". IndustCards. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Kajaki Dam power generation capacity surges to 151MW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Second Phase of Kajaki Power Dam Completed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Projects Completed". CEYTUN Construction & Trade Inc. 2018. Retrieved 2023-05-22.