Here we detailed list out the top 10 tallest dams in the world by structure height/dam height.
10) Tehri Dam
The Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the THDC India Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex. Phase 1 was completed in 2006.
| Location | Chokhala, Uttarakhand. India |
| Opened | 2006 |
| Construction cost | 250 crores USD |
| Height | 260 meter |
| Surface area | 52 km2 (20 sq mi) |
| Total capacity | 4.0 km3 (3,200,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Installed capacity | 1,000 MW (1,300,000 hp); Max. planned: 2,400 MW |
09) Manuel moreno torres dam
The Chicoasén Dam (officially known as Manuel Moreno Torres) is an embankment dam and hydroelectric power station on the Grijalva River near Chicoasén in Chiapas, Mexico. The dam’s power plant, officially named for Manuel Moreno Torres.
| Location | Chicoasén, Chiapas |
| Opened | 1980 |
| Height | 261 meter |
| Turbine | 5 x 300 MW, 3 x 310 MW Francis turbine |
08) Nuozhadu dam
Nuozhadu Dam is an embankment dam on the Lancang River in Yunnan Province, southwest China. The dam is 261.5 m tall and creates a reservoir with a normal capacity of 21,749,000,000 m³ at a level of 812 m asl. The purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production along with flood control and navigation
| Location | Lan Cang La Hu Zu Zi Zhi Xian, Puer, Yunnan, China, 665005 |
| Opened | 2012 |
| Height | 262 meter |
| Catchment area | 140,000 km2 (54,000 sq mi) |
| Spillway capacity | 31,318 m3/s (1,106,000 cu ft/s) |
| Installed capacity | 5,850 MW |
| Total capacity | 21,749,000,000 m3 (17,632,000 acre⋅ft) |
07) Vajont Dam
The Vajont Dam is a disused dam in northern Italy. It is one of the tallest dams in the world, with a height of 262 m. It is situated in the valley of the Vajont River under Monte Toc, in the municipality of Erto e Casso, 100 kilometres north of Venice.
| Location | 33080 Erto e Casso, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy |
| Opened | 1961 |
| Height | 262 meter |
| Architect | Carlo Semenza |
06) Enguri dam
The Enguri Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Enguri River in Tsalenjikha, Georgia. Currently, it is the world’s second-highest concrete arch dam with a height of 271.5 metres. It is located north of the town Jvari. It is part of the Enguri hydroelectric power station which is partially located in Abkhazia
| Location | Jvari, Tsalenjikha, Samegrelo |
| Opened | 1987 |
| Height | 271.5 meter |
| Installed capacity | 1,300 MW |
| Annual generation | 4.3 TWh |
| Turbines | 5 × 260 MW |
05) Grande dixence dam
The Grande Dixence Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Dixence at the head of the Val d’Hérémence in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At 285 m high, it is the tallest gravity dam in the world, this dam is coming 5th place of the top 10 tallest dams in the world list and the tallest dam in Europe. It is part of the Cleuson-Dixence Complex.
| Location | Hérémence, Switzerland |
| Opened | 1964 |
| Height | 285 meter |
| Area | 3.65 km² |
04) Xiluodu dam
The Xiluodu Dam is an arch dam on the Jinsha River, i.e. the upper course of the Yangtze in China. It is located near the town of Xiluodu in Yongshan County of Yunnan Province but the dam straddles into Leibo County of Sichuan Province on the opposite side of the river. This dam is coming 4th place of the top 10 tallest dams in the world list.
| Location | 6JHQ+J6W, Yongshan County, Zhaotong, Yunnan, China, 657399 |
| Opened | 2013 July |
| Height | 285.5 meter |
| Catchment Area | 454,400 km2 (175,400 sq mi) |
| Total capacity | 12,670,000,000 cubic metres (10,270,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Installed capacity | 13,860 MW |
| Construction cost | 620 crores USD |
03) Xiaowan dam
The Xiaowan Dam is an arch dam on the Lancang River in Nanjian County, Yunnan Province, southwest China. The primary purpose of the dam is a hydroelectric power generation and it supports a 4,200 MW power station. This dam is coming 3rd place of the top 10 tallest dams in the world list.
| Location | Lancang (Mekong) River in Nanjian County, Yunnan |
| Opened | 2010 march |
| Height | 292 meter |
| Catchment Area | 113,300 km2 (43,700 sq mi) |
| Active capacity | 9,895,000,000 m3 (8,022,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Installed capacity | 4,200 MW |
| Construction cost | 390 crores USD |
02) Nurek dam
The Nurek Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan. Its primary purpose is a hydroelectric power generation and its power station has an installed capacity of 3,015 MW. Construction of the dam began in 1961 and the power station’s first generator was commissioned in 1972. This dam is coming 2nd place in the top 10 tallest dams in the world list.
| Location | Nurek, Border of Khatlon district and Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan |
| Opened | 1980 |
| Height | 300 meter |
| Area | 98 km² |
| Total capacity | 10.5 km3 (8,500,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Owner | Barqi Tojik |
| Architect | Armen Chaltykjan |
01) Jinping-i dam
The worlds tallest dam is The Jinping-I Dam also known as the Jinping-I Hydropower Station or Jinping 1st Cascade, is a tall arch dam on the Jinping Bend of the Yalong River in Liangshan, Sichuan, China. Construction on the project began in 2005 and was completed in 2014 and this dam is coming 1st place in the top 10 tallest dams in the world list with a height of 305m.
| Location | Yanyuan County and Muli Tibetan Autonomous County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan, China |
| Opened | 2013 |
| Height | 305 meter |
| Installed capacity | 3,600 MW |
| Total capacity | 7,760,000,000 m3 (6,290,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Operators(s) | MWREP |
| Surface area | 82.55 km2 (31.87 sq mi) |
| Turbines | 6 × 600 MW Francis-type |
| Anual generation | 16–18 TWh |
Source – The all above details are collected with the help of the official website of the respective dams and Wikipedia.
Here is a list of the top 10 largest dams in the world by structure volume/dam volume.
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