About this project

In 1994, the new Esna Barrage was built about 1,200 meters behind the old one, in order to provide the water necessary to meet the increasing needs for irrigation, as well as the possibility of generating electrical energy estimated at about 635 gigawatt hours annually. In addition to that, river navigation was developed by constructing a lock that allows the passage of two large navigation units at the same time. One, as well as increasing the load on the road linking the two banks of the Nile River to 70 tons instead of 20 tons.

Components of the new Esna Barrage

Aggregate dam :

It is located in the eastern side of the course of the Nile River, and its purpose is to restrict the flow of Nile water in this area. It consists of layers of rubble topped with layers of sand and clay soil, and finally a stone bench on the surface of the dam. The body of the dam is permeated by a curtain of plastic concrete that extends to the impermeable layer. The length of the dam is 520 metres, its width at the bottom is 225 metres, its width at the top is 15 metres, and its height reaches 22.5 metres.

To overflow:

The spillway is located to the left of the solid dam. Its purpose is to maintain the natural water level in front of the barrage at a level of (79.00) metres, as well as to regulate high floods, whose flow is approximately 7000 m3 per second. Its length is 173 meters at the top and its width is 35 metres. The spillway channel consists of 11 openings, each of which is 12 meters wide. These openings are equipped with radial gates

electricity station :

The power station is connected to the navigation lock on the left side of the Nile River through the collection basin. It is 110 meters long and 60 meters wide. Electricity is generated by six capsule turbines directly connected to electrical generators. The generated energy, estimated at about 90 megawatts per hour, is transferred to the Esna power station.

Navigational lock:

It is located on the western side of the course of the Nile River. It consists of two chambers, its length is 160 meters, and the width of one chamber is 17 metres. The navigational draft is not less than 3 metres. The lock is equipped with two propeller gates and two sliding type gates, as well as a hinged overhead bridge.

The lock is filled through side channels connected to openings in the floor of the lock, which allow obtaining appropriate levels for the movement of river units between the front and back of the barrages. The closing and opening of the lock gates and side channel gates is controlled by an advanced electronic network.