| Khoda Afarin Dam | |
|---|---|
 Khoda Afarin Dam in June 2013 | |
  Khoda Afarin Dam Location of Khoda Afarin Dam in Azerbaijan | |
 Interactive map of Khoda Afarin Dam | |
| Official name | Xudafərin SES,سد خداآفرین |
| Country | Azerbaijan /Iran |
| Location | Jabrayil District /Khoda Afarin County, East Azerbaijan Province |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1999 |
| Opening date | 2008 |
| Owner | Azərenerji ASC / East Azerbaijan Regional Water Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, earth-fill |
| Impounds | Aras River |
| Height | 64 m (210 ft)[1] |
| Length | 400 m (1,300 ft)[2] |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Khoda Afarin Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 1.612 km3 (1,307,000 acre⋅ft)[3] |
| Active capacity | 1.495 km3 (1,212,000 acre⋅ft)[citation needed] |
| Surface area | 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi)[3] |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 102 MW (137,000 hp) |
Khoda Afarin Dam (Persian:سد خداآفرین, also spelled asKhodaafarin Dam orKhudafarin Dam) is an earth-fillembankment dam on theAras River straddling the international border betweenIran andAzerbaijan. It is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west ofKhomarlu inEast Azerbaijan Province, Iran and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) southwest ofSoltanlı inJabrayil District, Azerbaijan. Armeniande factoprotectorateRepublic of Artsakh occupied the area in 1993, during theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War, but on 18 October 2020, the Azerbaijani forces retook control of the dam during the2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.[4] It is located 1 km (0.62 mi) upstream of theKhudafarin Bridges.
The purpose of the dam ishydroelectric power generation and irrigation. It was conceived as a joint project with theSoviet Union and both sides reached an agreement in October 1977. Designs were finalized in 1982, revised in the early 1990s and construction began in 1999.[5]
The dam began to impound water in 2008. It was inaugurated in 2010. The irrigation works are still underway.[6] During construction, severalBronze Age sites were discovered, including the grave of aSaka-Scythian warrior. The reservoir filling, or impoundment, was delayed in 2008 to accommodate archeological excavations.[7][8] The dam's power plant has an installed capacity of 102 megawatts (137,000 hp) and is designed to irrigate 75,000 hectares (190,000 acres).[5][9]
On 19 May 2024, the Khoda Afarin hydroelectric complex was commissioned during the inauguration of theGiz Galasi hydroelectric complex, attended by President of AzerbaijanIlham Aliyev and Iranian PresidentEbrahim Raisi. Later that day Raisi, his Foreign MinisterHossein Amir-Abdollahian and other high-ranking Iranian officials died ina helicopter crash on their way toTabriz.[10] The Khoda Afarin Reservoir was reported to hold 503 million m3 of water, at 40% of its total capacity.[11][12] Both stations are expected to produce 368 million kWh annually.[13]
