Inguri Dam: The World's Tallest Concrete Arch Dam in a Conflict Zone

**Inguri Dam** on the Inguri River in the Tsalenjikha and Zugdidi districts of western Georgia is the **tallest concrete arch dam in the world** at **271.5 meters** — higher than the Hoover Dam and taller than any concrete arch dam built before or since. Completed in **1987** after two decades of construction, it generates **1,300 MW** from an underground powerhouse located in the breakaway region of Abkhazia.

Introduction

This geographic peculiarity — the dam in Georgian-controlled territory, the powerhouse in Abkhaz-controlled territory — makes Inguri one of the most geopolitically unusual energy facilities in the world. Despite the frozen conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia, both sides have maintained an informal agreement to keep the dam operating, sharing its electricity roughly 60-40 in Georgia's favor.

Engineering & Structure

• Type: Double-curvature arch dam
• Height: 271.5 meters
• Crest Length: 728 meters
• Concrete Volume: 3.96 million m³

Inguri Dam's soaring arch rises 271.5 meters from the floor of the Inguri gorge, making it the tallest concrete arch dam ever built. The dam's double curvature transfers the enormous water pressure into the gneiss and granite walls of the canyon. The crest spans 728 meters, and the dam contains 3.96 million cubic meters of concrete. At the base, the arch is approximately 10 meters thick, expanding to a maximum of 52 meters where it meets the canyon floor.

A 15-kilometer headrace tunnel, bored through the Caucasus mountains, carries water from the reservoir to the underground Inguri Powerhouse on the Gali River in Abkhazia. The powerhouse contains five 260 MW Francis turbines. This separation of dam and powerhouse across a conflict line creates unique maintenance and operational challenges.

Geographic Setting

• River: Inguri River
• Location: Jvari, western Georgia (dam); Gali, Abkhazia (powerhouse)
• Coordinates: 42.77°N, 42.02°E
• Reservoir Capacity: 1.11 km³

The Inguri River originates in the glaciers of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, near the Georgian-Russian border, and flows 213 kilometers south to the Black Sea. The dam site is located in a deep gorge where the river has carved through metamorphic rock, creating near-vertical canyon walls. The Greater Caucasus, which rises to over 5,000 meters nearby, provides abundant precipitation — rain in summer, snow in winter — feeding the Inguri with steady glacial and snowmelt flow.

The reservoir extends approximately 20 kilometers upstream into the Caucasus foothills, surrounded by dense forests of beech, hornbeam, and chestnut on the mountain slopes. The region's climate is humid subtropical at lower elevations, transitioning rapidly to alpine conditions with increasing altitude. The Inguri gorge is spectacularly scenic, with the dam's massive white concrete arc visible for kilometers.

Hydroelectric Power

• Installed Capacity: 1,300 MW
• Annual Output: ~4.4 TWh
• Power Split: ~60% Georgia, ~40% Abkhazia
• National Importance: Major share of Georgia's electricity supply

Inguri's five turbines generate approximately 4.4 terawatt-hours annually, a critical share of Georgia's total electricity supply. The output is split approximately 60-40 between Georgia and Abkhazia, an arrangement maintained by pragmatic necessity — Georgia controls the dam and water flow, while Abkhazia controls the powerhouse and its electrical output. Neither side can operate without the other.

The dam's output fluctuates seasonally with the Inguri's glacier and snowmelt-fed flow. Peak generation occurs in late spring and summer when meltwater is abundant, while winter output drops significantly. Georgia supplements Inguri's winter shortfall with thermal power and imports from neighboring countries.

Environmental & Social Impact

• Conflict: Dam and powerhouse on opposite sides of Georgian-Abkhaz conflict line
• Cooperation: Both sides maintain dam despite political hostility
• Seismic Risk: Caucasus region is highly earthquake-prone

The Inguri Dam's straddling of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict line makes it a remarkable case study in infrastructure diplomacy. Despite fighting a war in 1992-1993 and maintaining hostile relations since, Georgia and Abkhazia have cooperated to keep the dam functioning. International organizations, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, have mediated rehabilitation projects that require coordination across the conflict divide.

The dam is located in a seismically active region of the Caucasus. Georgia experienced a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in 1991 (Racha earthquake), and the dam has been subjected to several significant tremors. Post-Soviet rehabilitation efforts have focused on strengthening the dam's seismic resistance, though concerns remain about the arch's long-term performance in this geologically dynamic environment.

Key Facts

• Inguri Dam is the tallest concrete arch dam in the world at 271.5 meters.
• Its dam and powerhouse are on opposite sides of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict line.
• The 15 km headrace tunnel carries water through the Caucasus mountains to the powerhouse.
• Both sides share electricity roughly 60-40 despite hostile political relations.
• The dam generates approximately 4.4 TWh annually, critical for Georgia's electricity supply.

Fun Facts

• During the 1992-1993 war, both Georgian and Abkhaz forces avoided targeting the dam, recognizing that its destruction would devastate both sides.
• The dam's construction took 26 years (1961-1987), partly due to the extreme geological complexity of building in the Caucasus.
• Engineers working on the dam must cross the de facto border between Georgia and Abkhazia, requiring special permits and coordination between otherwise hostile administrations.

Final Thoughts

Inguri Dam is a marvel of engineering and an unlikely monument to pragmatic cooperation in a frozen conflict. Its record-breaking arch soars above a river that divides two hostile territories, yet both sides have chosen to maintain the facility rather than lose its irreplaceable electricity — a rare example of infrastructure transcending political division.