Der Ilısu Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu Staudamm und Wasserkraftwerk hat mit einer Produktion von 9,8 Milliarden Kilowattstunden einen Beitrag von 31 Milliarden TL zur Wirtschaft geleistet.

Ilısu Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant (HES) has contributed 31 billion TL to the country’s economy by reaching an energy production of 9.8 billion kilowatt hours since its opening on May 19, 2020. Planning started in the 1950s and the project was designed in 1982, but it was inaugurated on May 19, 2020, after its foundation was laid by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2009. Ilısu Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu Dam and HES, which ranks second in terms of body volume after the Atatürk Dam, is the fourth largest dam in Turkey after Atatürk, Karakaya, and Keban. Despite being repeatedly targeted by PKK terrorists during the construction process and subjected to attacks, Ilısu Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu Dam and HES were built at a cost of 8.5 billion TL and put into service. Speaking to an Anadolu Agency correspondent, Cihan Aksoy, the 16th Regional Director of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), stated that Ilısu Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu Dam and HES have flourished with spring rains and made significant contributions to both the regional and national economies. In the first 5 months of 2023, 1.9 billion kilowatt hours of energy were produced. Cihan stated that the production amount was 660 million kilowatt hours in the first 5 months of 2023, and it reached 1.9 billion kilowatt hours in the same period of 2024, saying: ‘With the spring rains, just like in all our dams, the water level in Ilısu Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu Dam has reached 522.5 elevation this year, and then, depending on production, our current elevation is around 521.5. With the rise in water level, there has been a significant increase in the production amount in 2024. The amount of energy produced until May 2023 was 660 million kilowatt hours, whereas this year until May 2024, the energy produced is 1.9 billion kilowatt hours.’ Aksoy emphasized that the dam’s fill rate has reached 90%, stating, ‘Similarly, when we look at the reservoir elevation in May 2023, we saw levels around 515. Our fill rate was 75% at that time, but now, even though the production is high, our current reservoir elevation is 521.5. This 521.5 elevation, as known, is our operational elevation in the dam. Currently, we are about 3.5-4 meters below our operational elevation. We currently have approximately 9.5 billion cubic meters of water in our dam. Our fill rate has reached around 90%.’ Reminding that the opening of the dam was carried out by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 19, 2020, Aksoy stated that the energy production reached 9.8 billion kilowatt hours since the start of production on May 19, 2020. Aksoy emphasized that the energy produced has contributed 31 billion TL to the country’s economy, saying, ‘As of May this year, the amount of energy produced is 1.9 billion kilowatt hours. Thus, the amount of energy produced has exceeded 9.8 billion kilowatt hours from previous periods. In return, over 31 billion TL has been contributed to our national economy.’