Exploring the World’s 10 Tallest Dams

Dams are among humanity's most remarkable engineering achievements, serving as vital infrastructure for societies around the world. They provide clean and renewable energy, regulate water flow for irrigation and flood control, and create reservoirs that sustain entire communities. Beyond their practical benefits, dams stand as symbols of innovation, resilience, and the capacity to shape the natural world to meet human needs.

Do you want to know which are the tallest dams on Earth? This article will highlight the 10 tallest dams in the world, focusing on monumental structures that harness the power of water and symbolize human ingenuity in engineering. Travel across Italy, Turkey, Switzerland, Georgia, Tajikistan, and China to learn about the impressive heights, massive power capacities, and remarkable contributions of these dams to regional growth.

1. Jinping-I Dam

Location: Jinping-I Dam, situated on the Jinping Bend of the Yalong River, Liangshan, Sichuan, China.

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 305 meters (1,001 feet)

Construction: Started in 2005 and completed in 2013

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 3,600 MW, producing between 16 and 18 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually.

Reservoir: Total capacity of 7.76 km³

2. Nurek Dam

Location: Tajikistan

Type: Earth-fill Dam

Height: 300 meters (980 feet)

Construction: Started in 1961 and completed in 1980.

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 3,015 MW, producing approximately 3 TWh annually.

Reservoir: Total capacity of 10.5 km³

 

3. Lianghekou Dam

Location: Lianghekou Dam, located on the Yalong River in Liangshan, Sichuan, China.

Type: Gravity Dam

Height: 295 meters (968 feet)

Construction: Began in 2009 and was completed in 2021

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 3,000 MW, producing approximately 8 TWh annually

Reservoir: Total capacity of 10.767 km³ 

 

4. Xiaowan Dam

Location: Xiaowan Dam, located on the Lancang (Mekong) River in Yunnan, China

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 292 meters (958 feet)

Construction: Began in 2002 and was completed in 2010

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 4,200 MW, producing approximately 20 TWh annually

Reservoir: Total capacity of 15.043 km³ 

 

5. Baihetan Dam

Location: Baihetan Dam, located on the Jinsha River in Ningnan County, Sichuan, China

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 289 meters (948 feet)

Construction: Began in 2017 and was completed in 2021

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 16,000 MW, producing approximately 60.24 TWh annually

Reservoir: Total capacity of 17.924 km³ 

 

6. Xiluodu Dam

Location: Xiluodu Dam, located on the Jinsha River in the Sichuan province of China

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 285.5 meters (937 feet)

Construction: Began in 2005 and was completed in 2013

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 13,860 MW, producing approximately 55.2 TWh annually

Reservoir: Total capacity of 12.67 km³ 

 

7. Grande Dixence Dam

Location: Grande Dixence Dam, located in the Bagnes Valley, Valais, Switzerland

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 285 meters (935 feet)

Construction: Began in 1950 and was completed in 1961

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of  2,069 MW, producing approximately 2,000 annually

Reservoir: Total capacity of 0.4 km³ 

 

8. Enguri Dam

Location: Enguri Dam, located on the Enguri River in the Caucasus Mountains, on the border between Georgia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 271.5 meters (891 feet)

Construction: Began in 1961 and was completed in 1978.

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 1,300 MW, producing approximately 4.5 TWh annually.

Reservoir: Total capacity of 1 km³ 

 

9. Yusufeli Dam

Location: Yusufeli Dam, located on the Çoruh River in Artvin Province, Turkey.

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 270 meters (890 feet)

Construction: Began in 2013 and was completed in 2022.

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 540 MW, producing approximately 1,705 GWh annually.

Reservoir: Total capacity of 2.13 km³ 

10. Vajont Dam

Location: Vajont Dam, located on the Vajont River in the Veneto region, Italy.

Type: Arch Dam

Height: 261.6 meters (858 feet)

Construction: Began in 1957 and was completed in 1960.

Power Capacity: The power station has a capacity of 1,200 MW, producing approximately 2.1 TWh annually.

Reservoir: Total capacity of 0.16 km³