Mont Cenis dam, Hydroelectric embankment dam in Val-Cenis, France
The Mont Cenis dam is a zoned embankment dam on the Mont-Cenis pass in Savoie, within the commune of Val-Cenis near the Italian border. Its watertight core of clayey earth is held between outer shells of packed rockfill, giving the long grey slope seen from the road below. Behind the crest lies the artificial Mont-Cenis lake.
The dam was inaugurated in 1970, when French industry minister François-Xavier Ortoli and his Italian counterpart attended the start-up of the first two plants of the Franco-Italian power station. It is a zoned embankment dam with a watertight clay core held between rockfill shoulders, built like the Grand'Maison dam.
The dam's reservoir, the Lac du Mont-Cenis, is an artificial lake on the pass near the French-Italian border. Its 315 million cubic metres make it France's sixth-largest artificial water reserve, after Petit-Saut, Serre-Ponçon, Sainte-Croix, Vouglans and Bort. The lake is fed by the Franco-Italian plant inaugurated in 1970.
Winter months make access difficult because snow and mountain conditions often block roads in the area. Plan your visit during warmer seasons and check road conditions before traveling.
The dam powers turbines that generate electricity for both France and Italy, showing cross-border energy cooperation. This shared arrangement makes it an example of practical teamwork between neighboring countries.
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