Tishrin Dam
| Tishrin Dam | |
|---|---|
View of the Tishrin Dam | |
| Official name | سد تشرين |
| Country | Syria |
| Location | Aleppo Governorate, Syria |
| Coordinates | 36°22′53″N 38°11′00″E / 36.38139°N 38.18333°E |
| Purpose | Hydroelectric power generation, Flood control, Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1991 |
| Opening date | 1999 |
| Construction cost | $400 million (estimated) |
| Built by | Syrian Government, with international collaboration |
| Designed by | Hassan Fathy (design influence) |
| Owner(s) | Syrian transitional government |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Rock-fill dam |
| Impounds | Euphrates River |
| Height (foundation) | 60 m |
| Height (thalweg) | 58 m |
| Length | 560 m |
| Elevation at crest | 310 m |
| Width (crest) | 10 m |
| Width (base) | 180 m |
| Dam volume | 2.5 million m³ |
| Spillways | 3 |
| Spillway type | Overflow spillway |
| Spillway length | 200 m |
| Spillway capacity | 11,000 m³/s |
| Spillway volumetric flow rate | 10,000 m³/s |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Tishrin Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 2.5 billion m³ |
| Active capacity | 2.0 billion m³ |
| Inactive capacity | 500 million m³ |
| Catchment area | 11,000 km² |
| Surface area | 75 km² |
| Maximum length | 30 km |
| Maximum width | 5 km |
| Maximum water depth | 50 m |
| Normal elevation | 250 m |
| Tidal range | N/A |
| Tishrin Power Plant | |
| Operator(s) | Unknown |
| Commission date | 1999 |
| Decommission date | N/A |
| Type | Hydroelectric power station |
| Hydraulic head | 58 m |
| Turbines | 3 x 60 MW |
| Pump-generators | None |
| Pumps | None |
| Installed capacity | 180 MW |
| Capacity factor | 65% |
| Overall efficiency | 85% |
| Storage capacity | N/A |
| 2022 generation | 600 GWh |
| Website Ministry of Irrigation | |
The Tishrin Dam (Arabic: سد تشرين, romanized: Sadd Tišrīn, lit. 'October Dam'; Kurdish: Bendava Tişrînê) is a dam on the Euphrates river, located 90 kilometres (56 mi) east of Aleppo in Aleppo Governorate, Syria. The dam is 40 metres (130 ft) high, and has 6 water turbines capable of producing 630 MW. Construction took place between 1991 and 1999. Rescue excavations in the area that would be flooded by the dam's reservoir have provided important information on ancient settlement in the area from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period onward.
In November 2012, rebel fighters captured the dam from Syrian Government forces of President Bashar al-Assad during a battle of the Syrian Civil War. In September 2014, the Islamic State captured the dam from rebel forces.
In December 2015, the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the dam from the Islamic State. In December 2024, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces to take the dam, which led to a subsequent counteroffensive of the SDF. The dam plays a strategic role as it is one of the few crossing points across the Euphrates into the Kurdish-controlled north east.