Gabčíkovo Dam
| Gabčíkovo Dam | |
|---|---|
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  Location of Gabčíkovo Dam in Slovakia  Gabčíkovo Dam (Trnava Region)  Gabčíkovo Dam (Europe) | |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Location | Gabčíkovo, Trnava Region |
| Coordinates | 47°52′48″N 17°32′21″E / 47.88°N 17.539167°E |
| Purpose | Electricity generation, navigability, flood protection |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1992[1] |
| Owner(s) | Slovak government |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Gabčíkovo Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 195,581 cubic metres (255,810 cu yd)[2] |
| Hydropowerplant Gabčíkovo | |
| Turbines | 8 Kaplan turbines |
| Installed capacity | 720 MW[3] |
| Annual generation | 2.2 TWh[4] |
Gabčíkovo Dam is a major dam and hydroelectric powerplant on the Danube located in southwest Slovakia near the Hungarian border and the town of Gabčíkovo, after which it has been named. The dam was opened in the 1990s[1] for the purpose of harnessing Danube's power in form of electricity, easing the navigability of the relatively busy waterway and providing greater flood protection[5] to the nearby area of Žitný Island. However, it has been criticized for its impact on the natural environment, namely on rare alluvial forests spread around Danube's uniquely preserved system of river arms.[6][7]
The dam creates a reservoir of the same name, which spans upstream to Slovakia's capital Bratislava. It is a popular location for recreational activities, including watersports and cycling. Since Gabčíkovo dam has been constructed on a lowland with no natural barriers and elevation differences to hold the retained water, long artificial levees have been constructed on the sides of the reservoir, spanning its length. The original plan involved constructing part of the reservoir on Hungarian soil, but due to Hungary having abandoned the project, secondary Čunovo Dam has been constructed to restrain the flooded area only to Slovak soil. Čunovo Dam lets a portion of river's discharge flow into the old (former) Danube's main channel, around which the aforementioned alluvial forests are located, while Gabčíkovo Dam together with the side levees create a new, artificial main channel for the rest of the water volume.[citation needed]
Image gallery
[edit]-
Areal view of Gabčíkovo Dam -
Entrance into one of the locks -
Sailing through one of the locks at night -
Both locks -
Water next to the dam upstream -
Tower on the dam -
Countryside next to the dam -
A cycle path next to the reservoir
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b "Pred 30 rokmi prehradili Dunaj a spustili elektráreň Gabčíkovo" [30 years ago, the Danube was dammed and the hydropower plant Gabčíkovo opened]. TASR (in Slovak). 24 October 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Charakteristické hladiny – plochy a objemy zdrže Hrušov a stupňa Čunovo". gabcikovo.gov.sk (in Slovak). Splnomocnenec vlády SR pre výstavbu vodných diel Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Stupeň Gabčíkovo". gabcikovo.gov.sk (in Slovak). Splnomocnenec vlády SR pre výstavbu vodných diel Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "VE Gabčíkovo" (in Slovak). Slovenské elektrárne, a.s. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "SVD Gabčíkovo–Nagymaros" (in Slovak). Vodohospodárska výstavba, a.s. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Kacsinecz, Krisztián (11 November 2022). "Zodpovednosť za vznik prírodných škôd v dôsledku Gabčíkova nesie aj maďarská strana, vraví geológ a novinár Lajos Tuba" [Responsibility for the creation of environmental damage lies also in hands of the Hungarian side, says geologist and journalist Lajos Tuba]. Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Ochranár Huba: Vodné dielo Gabčíkovo je zhmotnením násilia proti prírode" [Conservationist Huba: Gabčíkovo is an embodiment of violence against the nature]. SME/Historická revue (in Slovak). 27 October 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
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