“Ilısu dam, will contribute TL 2.8 billion (US$ 412 million) to the Turkish economy annually, contribute to the development of the southeast, and it is expected to generate 4.1 billion kWh of electricity per year,” Erdoğan said.

The Ilısu Dam is located on the Tigris River within Turkish borders with a catchment area of 35,517km2. It is located 65km upstream on the main river course running along the borderline between Iraq and Syria.

The powerhouse is equipped with six vertical Francis turbines with a capacity of 204MW and six generators rated at 223MVA. It also houses the digital governors and shut-off valves and ancillary systems. An auxiliary horizontal synchronized Francis turbine unit is also included, which has a rated power output of 4.5MW.

At a normal elevation of 525 m (1,722 ft) above sea level, the reservoir surface area covers 313 km2.