Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that the first turbine rotation process has started within the scope of wet tests for electrical energy production at Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant (HES).
Sharing a post on the subject on his social media account, Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said, “We started the first turbine rotation process within the scope of wet tests for electrical energy production at Yusufeli Dam and HEPP. Our engineers follow the test trials meticulously. "The days when we will receive electricity from the world's 5th highest dam are approaching." he said.
It will provide an added value of 6 billion lira annually
Yusufeli Dam, with its height of 275 meters, is the highest dam in Turkey and the 5th highest dam in the world in the category of double curvature concrete arch dams.
It is aimed to provide an annual added value of 558 billion lira to the Turkish economy with the energy produced by the facility, which has an installed power of 1 megawatts and an average annual energy production of 900 billion 6 million kilowatt-hours.
Yusufeli Dam is the only storage facility capable of adjusting the flow regime of the Çoruh River so that the dams located downstream operate at the highest efficiency. In addition, the dam is expected to increase the production capacities of the Artvin, Deriner, Borçka and Muratlı dams located downstream.
The aim of the dam is to retain a significant amount of the sediment brought by the Çoruh River, to extend the life of other dams and to reduce the risk of floods that may occur in the river.
It is planned to store 2,1 billion cubic meters of water with the dam, which will be one of the most important investments of the Çoruh Valley Project developed by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI).
With the commissioning of Yusufeli Dam and HEPP, it is estimated that hydroelectric energy production capacity in Turkey will increase by 2 percent.
The Energy Needs of 2,5 Million People Can Be Met
The Yusufeli Dam project, which is the size of a 100-storey skyscraper, will be able to meet the energy needs of 2,5 million people and produce energy with a capacity to meet the energy of 750 thousand Toggians.
As of September 15, the water level in the dam in question reached 699,12 elevation, the water height reached 195,62 meters and the amount of stored water reached 1 billion 697 million cubic meters.
The dam, where wet tests for electrical energy production have started, has 3 units for electricity production. While the first turbine rotation of Unit-3 has been successfully carried out, wet tests continue. Tests of the nominal commissioning speed of 214 rpm are continuing at 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent and 100 percent respectively, and then trial production will begin.
Tests of Unit-1 and Unit-2 will also be carried out in the coming period.