Kaptai Dam
| Kaptai Dam | |
|---|---|
The dam in 2023 | |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Location | Kaptai, Rangamati District |
| Coordinates | 22°29′42″N 92°13′30″E / 22.49500°N 92.22500°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1957 |
| Opening date | 1962 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment |
| Impounds | Karnaphuli River |
| Height | 45.7 m (150 ft) |
| Length | 670.6 m (2,200 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
| Width (base) | 45.7 m (150 ft) |
| Dam volume | 1,977,000 m3 (69,800,000 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Controlled, 16 gates |
| Spillway capacity | 16,000 m3/s (570,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Kaptai Lake |
| Total capacity | 6,477,000,000 m3 (5,251,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 777 km2 (300 sq mi) |
| Normal elevation | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 1962, 1982, 1988 |
| Turbines | 2 x 40 MW (54,000 hp), 3 x 50 MW (67,000 hp) Kaplan-type |
| Installed capacity | 230 MW (310,000 hp) |
Kaptai Dam (Bengali: কাপ্তাই বাঁধ) is on the Karnaphuli River at Kaptai, 65 km (40 mi) upstream from Chittagong in Rangamati District, Bangladesh. It is an earth-fill embankment dam with a reservoir (known as Kaptai Lake) with water storage capacity of 6,477 million cubic metres (5,251,000 acre⋅ft). The primary purpose of the dam and reservoir was to generate hydroelectric power. Construction was completed in 1962, in then-East Pakistan. The generators in the 230 MW (310,000 hp) Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station were commissioned between 1962 and 1988. It is the only hydroelectric power station in Bangladesh.