Kozjak Hydro Power Plant

Kozjak Hydro Power Plant is a large hydroelectric power plant on the river Treska which creates an artificial lake Kozjak, the largest in North Macedonia. The impounded reservoir is stretched along municipalities of Želino, Brvenica and Makedonski Brod. The constructed Kozjak Dam is the tallest in the country at 130 m (430 ft). It is located in the western part of the country in the village of Lukovica part of Želino municipality. The primary purpose of the dam is flood control but it also serves for power generation.^[1]

Kozjak Dam Брана Козјак Diga e Kozjakut
Kozjak dam and lake, as seen from the Fojnik peak
Location of Kozjak Dam Брана Козјак Diga e Kozjakut in North Macedonia
Country	North Macedonia
Location	Kozjak
Coordinates	41°52′40″N 21°11′34″E
Purpose	Flood control, power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1994
Opening date	2000; 24 years ago (2000)
Owner(s)	Power plants of North Macedonia (ESM)
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, rock-fill
Impounds	Treska
Height (foundation)	130 m (430 ft)
Height (thalweg)	114 m (374 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	380,000,000 m3 (310,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	13.5 km2 (5.2 sq mi)
Maximum length	32 km (20 mi)
Maximum width	400 m (1,300 ft)
Commission date	2004
Turbines	2 x 41 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	82 MW

The power plant has two turbines with a nominal capacity of 41 MW each^[2] having a total capacity of 82 MW.

The lake is 32 km (20 mi) long, with maximum depth of 130 m (430 ft). The maximum elevation of the lake is 469.9 m and it has a capacity of about 380 million m³ of water. There is an abundance of fish in the lake.

The construction of the dam started in August 1994 and it was complete in 2000. The reservoir started filling in May 2003, and the two power generators finally operated in July and September 2004.^[3]

References

1. Dams and Appurtenant Hydraulic Structures, 2nd edition. CRC Press. 2014. p. 344. ISBN 978-1138000063.
2. Kozjak Hydro Power Plant
3. Dams And Reservoirs, Societies And Environment in The 21st Century, Luis Berga; Taylor & Francis, 2006; ISBN 0-415-40423-1, ISBN 978-0-415-40423-5

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