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Karun 3 Dam and Hydroelectric Plant

Dam and hydroelectric scheme, 3.0 km3 reservoir (1.72 km3 live); eight vertical Francis units of 250 MW; 4,172 GWh/year in Iran.

Operational

The record

Country
Iran
Location
Izeh
Coordinates
31.802, 50.095
Technology
Dam and hydroelectric scheme
Capacity
3.0 km3 reservoir (1.72 km3 live); eight vertical Francis units of 250 MW; 4,172 GWh/year
Capital cost
—
Stage
Operational
Owner or client
Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company
Contractor
Farab (electromechanical and hydromechanical EPC); Sabir Construction, Boland Payeh and Tableh on civil works
Operator
Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company
Finance
Government of Iran
Award or start year
1995
Commissioned
2005-02

Record last checked 2026-09-18.

History

Sources

5 references

Every field in the record above is taken from the references below. A field that none of them confirms prints as a dash.

  1. Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company (IWPCO), project page. iwpco.ir.
  2. (in Persian).
  3. Double-arch concrete dam 205 m high from foundation with a crest length of 462 m and 1.3 million m3 of concrete, 28 km east of Izeh and 120 km upstream of Karun 1; total reservoir 3,000 million m3 with 1,720 million m3 live over 48 km2 and a 60 km lake; normal water level 845 m a.s.l.; catchment 24,000 km2; eight vertical Francis units of 250 MW each and annual energy of 4,172 GWh; studies 1961-1968; construction started June 1995, dam completed September 2004, first impounding 9 November 2004, first two units February 2005 and full operation by 2007; consultants Mahab Ghodss; main contractors Sabir Construction, Boland Payeh and Tableh.
  4. The same page also states an installed capacity of 2,280 MW alongside the eight-by-250 MW unit list, so the two figures on the owner's own page do not agree; the unit breakdown of 8 x 250 MW matches Farab, Karoun 3 hydro power plant. farab.com.
  5. MENA Water Review major projects register and PPP pipeline — compiled from procurer publications, development-bank project pages and trade reporting; each record names its source.

which gives 2,000 MW in eight units of 250 MW, an underground powerhouse and average annual generation of 4,137 GWh.