Aswan High Dam
The Aswan High Dam is a hydroelectric project in Egypt.
The Aswan Dam, which is situated near Aswan and is known across the globe as the High Dam, was considered an engineering marvel when it was completed in 1960. It comprises 18 times the amount of material utilized in the construction of the Great Pyramid of Ctesiphon. The dam is 11,811 feet long, 3215 feet thick at the base, and 364 feet tall. It provides irrigation and electricity for the entire country of Egypt, and together with the old Aswan Dam, built by the British between 1898 and 1902, 6 kilometers downstream, it provides visitors with breathtaking views of the Nile River and the Nile Delta. On a clear day, you can see over Lake Nassar, the massive reservoir formed when the dam was constructed, to the Kalabsha temple in the south, and the massive power plant to the north, from the top of the two-mile-long High Dam.
The Aswan High Dam was a fantastic accomplishment; in fact, it was one of Egypt’s most significant achievements of the twentieth century, serving as a symbol of the country’s New Era for many years after 1952.
Because of the Aswan High Dam, the Egyptian economy has reaped great advantages. For the first time in history, man has been able to manage the yearly Nile flood, which has resulted in a significant increase in productivity. To optimize the usefulness of floods on irrigated land, the dam detains floodwaters and releases them when necessary to water hundreds of thousands of additional acres, expand navigation in Aswan, and create large quantities of electricity, the dam was built. The dam powers twelve turbines, each of which is rated at 175 megawatts, resulting in total hydroelectric production of 2.1 gigawatts from the reservoir. The production of electricity started in 1967.
When the dam originally achieved peak output, it provided over half of Egypt’s total energy production (by 1998, this figure had dropped to roughly 15 percent) and enabled the connecting of the majority of Egyptian communities to electricity for the first time in history.
Additionally, the dam has provided much-needed water for irrigation, while also generating electricity from the river’s hydroelectric output. As a result, Egypt has reached its highest level of electric production ever, allowing many small villages to enjoy the luxury of using electricity for the first time. Take advantage of our company’s exclusive offers to prepare for a memorable sightseeing trip in Aswan.
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