Tarbela Dam
| Tarbela Dam | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the dam and Tarbela Lake reservoir | |
Tarbela Dam Location of Tarbela Dam in Pakistan Tarbela Dam Tarbela Dam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | |
Interactive map of Tarbela Dam | |
| Official name | Tarbela Dam |
| Location | Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 34°05′23″N 72°41′54″E / 34.0897222222°N 72.6983333333°E |
| Purpose | Water Storage, Power Generation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1968 |
| Opening date | 1976 |
| Construction cost | 2.85 Billion USD |
| Owner | Government of Pakistan |
| Operator | Water and Power Development Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earth and rock filled dam |
| Impounds | Indus River |
| Height (foundation) | 470 feet (143 m) |
| Height (thalweg) | 485 feet (148 m) |
| Length | 9,000 feet (2,743 m) |
| Dam volume | 139,000,000 cu yd (106,000,000 m3) |
| Spillways | 16 ( 7 Service + 9 Auxiliary) |
| Spillway capacity | Service 650,000 cusecs + Auxiliary 850,000 cusecs |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Tarbela Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 11,620,000 acre⋅ft (14.33 km3) (1974) |
| Active capacity | 9,679,000 acre⋅ft (11.939 km3) (1974) |
| Inactive capacity | 1,941,000 acre⋅ft (2.394 km3) (1974) |
| Catchment area | 65,500 sq mi (170,000 km2) |
| Surface area | 100 sq mi (260 km2) |
| Maximum water depth | 450 ft (140 m) |
| Normal elevation | 1,464 ft (446 m) |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 1977–1982 |
| Turbines | 10 × 175 MW 4 × 432 MW 3 × 470 MW |
| Installed capacity | 4,888 MW |
| Annual generation | 17,395 GWh (2020) |
Tarbela Dam (Pashto: د توربېلې بند, Hindko: تربیلا بند) is an earth-filled dam on the Indus River in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is mainly located in Haripur Tehsil. The dam lies in the vicinity of the town of Topi, 105 km (65 mi) northwest of Islamabad and 125 km (80 mi) east of Peshawar. It is the largest earth-filled dam in the world. The dam is 143 metres (470 ft) high above the riverbed, and its reservoir, Tarbela Lake, has a surface area of approximately 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi).
The Tarbela Dam is located where the Indus River emerges from the foothills of the Himalayas and enters the Pothohar Plateau. The dam has a reservoir that stores water for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation, capturing monsoon flows and releasing water during the low-flow winter period. The average annual flow available is 101 billion cubic meters (3221 m3/sec). It has a storage capacity of 11.9 billion cubic meters. The dam was completed in 1976. The installed capacity of the 4,888 MW Tarbela hydroelectric power stations will increase to 6,418 MW after completion of the planned fifth extension financed by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank. Then, it will be the 12th largest hydroelectric dam in the world, for electricity production capacity.