Srinagarind Dam


The Srinagarind Dam is an embankment dam on the Khwae Yai River in Si Sawat District of Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. The purposes of the dam are river regulation and hydroelectric power generation. The dam's power station has a capacity of which is pumped storage. The dam was named after Princess Srinagarindra.

Background

Feasibility studies for the dam were carried out between May 1967 and May 1969 and designs from September 1970 to December 1977. Construction began in 1974 and it was completed in 1980. The first of the dam's generators was commissioned in 1980 and the last in 1991. The original cost of the dam was estimated to be US$45 million but because the dam was constructed on a fault line, the dam's foundation had to be reinforced which raised the cost to US$114 million.

Design

The Srinagarind Dam is a tall and long embankment dam. It contains a reservoir with a capacity of. The dam's power station has an installed capacity of 720 MW and contains three Francis turbines and two 180 MW Francis pump-turbines. The pump-turbines serve the dam's pumped-storage capability and generate electricity during peak hours. In off-peak hours, the pump turbines return water from the lower reservoir back into the upper reservoir.