Dam Bin el Ouidane

Dam Bin el Ouidane

Dam Bin el Ouidane Is a Moroccan dam located in the province of Azilal (Tadla-Azilal), designed by engineer Andrew Coyne. 

Major building on dam construction, it has a dual purpose: energy production and irrigation. It is considered the highest dam in the roof of Africa and the largest in Morocco in energy production. In addition to its ability to irrigation on the plain of Tadla, who belongs to the pre-Atlas inner Tadla plain (3500 km2) in the extended region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al-Haouz the plain Sraghna. The dam helped develop 69,500 ha of fertile land of 125 km in length. The policy of the Moroccan government in the early 1960s aimed to achieve irrigate one million hectares. Despite the large network of dams, Morocco faces problems: drought and dam filling with mud, which affects water retention.

source(wikipedia).

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History

In early 1948, SGE and Construction Company FOUGEROLLE to rank first in the auction of the work of this great Moroccan dam. In order to fulfill the contract, they form a special purpose company, the Manufacturing Company Dam and Factory Bin el Ouidane (ECBO). Located on the main tributary of the Oum Errabiaa, Wadi el 

Abid, the project is ambitious as it seeks to achieve the most powerful hydroelectric throughout Morocco. In 1929, studies were conducted on the site. On the eve of World War II, Electrical Energy of Morocco and the government decides the achievement of this development. However, work will enter their active phase in the aftermath of the conflict. In total, the complex of Wadi el-Abid must provide 600 billion kilowatt hours, or two-thirds of electricity from hydropower Morocco. In addition, it will be possible to irrigate 112,000 ha. Centerpiece of the whole dam Bin el Ouidane studied by Coyne et Bellier office reached 132 meters high and 290 long crest and long remained the highest in Africa. It has a large spillway ski jump with a capacity of 2500 m3 / s, it determines, once built, withholding an area far exceeding that of Lake Annecy.