Lower Kaleköy Dam and HEPP

Project’s Overview

Lower Kaleköy power station, referred to as Aşağı Kaleköy, is set on a deep bedrock on the Murat River in Bingöl province, eastern Türkiye. The main element of the project was the construction of a composite dam, which consists of a 3,700,000 m³ water impermeable asphalt core rock fill embankment on the left abutment, and a 1,900,000 m³ concrete gravity section on the right abutment. The dam has a composite length of 945 meters, and a structural height of 110 meters. It accommodates an overflow spillway regulated by 6 radial gates with a capacity of 9,300 m³/s. The concrete portion of the dam comprises a 1,580,000 m³ roller-compacted-concrete (RCC) gravity structure, which incorporates an integral spillway, lined with 175,000 m³ of conventional concrete in the middle, and a frontal water intake which forms part of the length of the dam having a concrete volume of 250,000 m³, located on the right abutment of the dam.

The river flow diversion was achieved with 3 tunnels having dimensions of 497 meters, 520 meters, and 565 meters in length. Each tunnel was excavated to get a clearance diameter of 11.5 meters respectively. They all were further concrete-lined to an internal diameter of 9.5 meters.

The project also encompasses the power plant situated at the right bank of the river, where a volume of 126,000 m³ of reinforced conventional concrete was required to construct the powerhouse and the 4 steel-lined penstock encasements.
The semi underground powerhouse is fitted with 4 generating units, all comprising vertical shaft Francis turbines and related generators. Three (3) large units are rated at 155.49 MW, and one small unit delivers 33.53 MW for environmental flow. These 4 units resulting in a total capacity of 500.10 MW.