Akosombo Dam, Hydroelectric power station in Akosombo, Ghana.
Akosombo Dam is a 660 m long, 114 m high rock-fill embankment dam on the Volta River in the Akosombo gorge, Asuogyaman District, Ghana. Its crest carries two spillways with six red steel radial gates each, and six penstocks feed six 170 MW Francis turbines. The dam impounds Lake Volta, 8,502 km2 in surface area.
Construction of the power station began in the early 1960s with financial support from several countries and the World Bank. The facility became operational in 1965 and fundamentally changed the electricity supply across the country.
The dam attracts visitors interested in large-scale engineering and power generation in West Africa. From viewing points, you can overlook the wide waters of Lake Volta, which now serves as an important navigation route and fishing area.
The dam is an operating facility of the Volta River Authority, so the crest and power station are not open to the public. The dam lies in the Akosombo gorge in southeastern Ghana, and the township of Akosombo beside it has the memorials to the 28 Impregilo workers who died during construction. The reservoir stretches about 400 km north, so road approaches follow the lakeshore.
The impoundment created Lake Volta, which ranks among the largest artificial lakes in the world by surface area. The water extends several hundred kilometers to the north and shapes the landscape and transport routes of the region.
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