Kajakai Dam
Encyclopedia
The Kajakai Dam is one of the two major hydroelectric power dams
of Helmand province
in southern Afghanistan
. The dam is located on the Helmand River
100 miles (161 km) north-west of Kandahar City
. It has a dual function, to provide electricity and to irrigate some 650,000 acres (1800 km²) of an otherwise arid
land. Water discharging from the dam traverses some 300 miles (500 km) of downstream irrigation canals feeding farmland. It currently produces 33 megawatts of electricity.
The dam is 320 ft (97.5 m) high and 887 ft (270.4 m) long, with a storage capacity of 973000 acre.ft of water. The dam controls the output of the main watershed which feeds the Sistan Basin
.
project.
In 1975, USAID commissioned the initial installation of two 16.5 MW generating units in a powerhouse constructed at the toe of the dam. This first stage powerhouse was actually constructed to house three equally sized units.
When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the contractors left. They had intended to raise the dam by 2 meters in order to increase the available water for power production and irrigation. They were also cutting in an emergency spillway, which was never completed. Gates were also never installed in the service spillway so the dam passes all water in the reservoir above elevation 1033.5 meters.
The Kajakai dam powerhouse was a bombing target of the US Air Force during their attack on Afghanistan in October 2001.
With help from USAID, Unit 1 has been fully rehabilitated and currently produces 16.5 MW of reliable power.
The Unit 3 rehabilitation began in May 2006, with a scheduled return to service in early 2007. The new 18.5 MW Unit 2 turbine/generator has been contracted to China Machine Building International Corporation, which is headquartered in Beijing. Engineering, design and procurement are ongoing. The work will be supervised by Montgomery Watson Harza and was planned to be completed by June 2007.
In February 2007, the Kajakai Dam was the subject of fighting between NATO and Taliban insurgents, as part of the so-called Operation Kryptonite
. According to Helmand governor, Assadullah Wafa
, over 700 Taliban insurgents (including Pakistanis, Chechens and Uzbeks
) coming from neighbouring Pakistan
fought against over 300 NATO troops. Most of the NATO troops were Dutch
and British
. The number of casualties mentioned varies. The Taliban intend to destroy the dam.
and sustained economic growth of south-eastern Afghanistan is the rehabilitation and expansion of the Kajakai HPP. As a critical component of the South East Transmission System, the capacity of the Kajakai HPP will be expanded to 51 MW with a future potential for an additional 100 MW.
, meaning "Eagle's Summit" in Pashtu. Despite the turbine being delivered, as of December 2009 it had still not been installed, as its installation requires 900 tonnes of cement which cannot be delivered to the dam due to attacks by the Taliban.
According to a BBC report the turbine remained unassembled, and uninstalled in June 2011. The most optimistic estimates for the completion of the project are now for late 2013.
When the turbine comes online, and when a new grid of power lines are established to distribute the power, it is expected that the dam will be able to provide 51 megawatts of power.
and Afghanistan in 1972, Afghanistan is obliged to release at least water at a rate of 910 cuft/s. The Taliban briefly stopped the flow of water to Iran when the latter threatened to attack in retaliation for the killing of Iranians who were claimed to be diplomats in Mazari Sharif when the Taliban retook the city from the Northern Alliance the second time. During that time Helmand valley was going through a five year drought.
As a result, Iran's famous Hamun-e Helmand lake dried up as did other regional pastures, leading to the death of flora, fauna, cattle and birds in the Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran.
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
of Helmand province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
in southern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The dam is located on the Helmand River
Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
100 miles (161 km) north-west of Kandahar City
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. It has a dual function, to provide electricity and to irrigate some 650,000 acres (1800 km²) of an otherwise arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
land. Water discharging from the dam traverses some 300 miles (500 km) of downstream irrigation canals feeding farmland. It currently produces 33 megawatts of electricity.
The dam is 320 ft (97.5 m) high and 887 ft (270.4 m) long, with a storage capacity of 973000 acre.ft of water. The dam controls the output of the main watershed which feeds the Sistan Basin
Sistan Basin
The Sistan Basin is an inland endorheic basin encompassing large parts of southwestern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran, one of the driest regions in the world and an area subjected to prolonged droughts...
.
History
The dam was built in 1953, by the Morrison-Knudsen firm as part of the Helmand Valley AuthorityHelmand Valley Authority
The Helmand Valley Authority was an agricultural project financed by the United States of America in Afghanistan from 1949-1963 along the Helmand River and Arghandab River.-References:*...
project.
In 1975, USAID commissioned the initial installation of two 16.5 MW generating units in a powerhouse constructed at the toe of the dam. This first stage powerhouse was actually constructed to house three equally sized units.
When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the contractors left. They had intended to raise the dam by 2 meters in order to increase the available water for power production and irrigation. They were also cutting in an emergency spillway, which was never completed. Gates were also never installed in the service spillway so the dam passes all water in the reservoir above elevation 1033.5 meters.
The Kajakai dam powerhouse was a bombing target of the US Air Force during their attack on Afghanistan in October 2001.
With help from USAID, Unit 1 has been fully rehabilitated and currently produces 16.5 MW of reliable power.
The Unit 3 rehabilitation began in May 2006, with a scheduled return to service in early 2007. The new 18.5 MW Unit 2 turbine/generator has been contracted to China Machine Building International Corporation, which is headquartered in Beijing. Engineering, design and procurement are ongoing. The work will be supervised by Montgomery Watson Harza and was planned to be completed by June 2007.
In February 2007, the Kajakai Dam was the subject of fighting between NATO and Taliban insurgents, as part of the so-called Operation Kryptonite
Operation Kryptonite
Operation Kryptonite was the name given to a joint operation including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Afghan National Army, representing the ISAF and NATO. The operation itself was part of Operation Achilles...
. According to Helmand governor, Assadullah Wafa
Assadullah Wafa
Assadullah Wafa is the former governor of the Afghan province of Helmand, and formerly governor of Kunar Province of Afghanistan and a previous governor of the Paktia Province where he was succeeded by Hakim Taniwal. His first name is sometimes spelled "Asadullah"...
, over 700 Taliban insurgents (including Pakistanis, Chechens and Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
) coming from neighbouring Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
fought against over 300 NATO troops. Most of the NATO troops were Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The number of casualties mentioned varies. The Taliban intend to destroy the dam.
Expansion plans
Central to the long term energy securityEnergy security
Energy security is a term for an association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led...
and sustained economic growth of south-eastern Afghanistan is the rehabilitation and expansion of the Kajakai HPP. As a critical component of the South East Transmission System, the capacity of the Kajakai HPP will be expanded to 51 MW with a future potential for an additional 100 MW.
The Third Turbine
In late August 2008 a contingent of British, Afghan and ISAF troops successfully transported the third turbine from Kandahar Airbase in Kandahar Province to the Kajakai Dam. The operation was British led and codenamed Operation Oqab TsukaOperation Eagle's Summit
Operation Eagle's Summit was a military operation conducted by ISAF and Afghan National Army troops, with the objective of transporting a 220-tonne turbine to the Kajaki dam in Helmand province through territory controlled by Taliban insurgents...
, meaning "Eagle's Summit" in Pashtu. Despite the turbine being delivered, as of December 2009 it had still not been installed, as its installation requires 900 tonnes of cement which cannot be delivered to the dam due to attacks by the Taliban.
According to a BBC report the turbine remained unassembled, and uninstalled in June 2011. The most optimistic estimates for the completion of the project are now for late 2013.
When the turbine comes online, and when a new grid of power lines are established to distribute the power, it is expected that the dam will be able to provide 51 megawatts of power.
Water supply obligations
Under an accord signed between IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Afghanistan in 1972, Afghanistan is obliged to release at least water at a rate of 910 cuft/s. The Taliban briefly stopped the flow of water to Iran when the latter threatened to attack in retaliation for the killing of Iranians who were claimed to be diplomats in Mazari Sharif when the Taliban retook the city from the Northern Alliance the second time. During that time Helmand valley was going through a five year drought.
As a result, Iran's famous Hamun-e Helmand lake dried up as did other regional pastures, leading to the death of flora, fauna, cattle and birds in the Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran.