The project started in 1964 as a joint-venture between the governments of
Romania and
Yugoslavia for the construction of a major
dam on the Danube River which would serve both countries. At the time of completion in 1972, it was the 10th largest
hydroelectric power stations in the world with twelve
Kaplan turbines generating , divided equally between the two countries at each. The small inhabited island of
Ada Kaleh was submerged during the construction.
Modernization As the original turbines' 30 years lifespan came to an end, in 1998 the Romanian half of the dam started a program of modernization. As part of this program, the first of the turbines was stopped in 1999. By 2007 the program was completed and the Romanian half of the dam's operations were back to full capacity. The nominal capacity of each of the six units was increased from to , thus giving an installed capacity of , increasing the entire power generation capacity of the dam to at the time. On the Serbian part of the dam, modernization started in July 2008; modernising . Modernisation was finished in December 2023. The nominal capacity of each of the six units was increased from 174 MW to 201 MW. The units were upgraded with the help of the Russian company Power Machines from Saint Petersburg, as well as subcontractors and eleven domestic companies. In addition to the upgrades, the Serbian side is planning to build a new, smaller power station, called
Iron Gate III (/Đerdap III).
Gallery File:Josip Broz Tito i Georgi Georgiju Dež, potpisivanje sporazuma o izgradnji sistema Đerdap.jpg|
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej and Josip Broz Tito signing the treaty that allowed for the construction process to begin, 30 November 1963 File:Deo temeljne jame, Đerdap.jpg|Foundations being laid on the Yugoslav side File:Izgradnja zagata, građevine za pregrađivanje korita reke, Đerdap.jpg|Concrete slabs being thrown into the Danube to temporarily redirect the flow of water File:Portile de Fier 40636X3X5.jpg|Foundations being built on the Romanian side File:Izgled gradilišta HE Đerdap I posle pregrađivanja Dunava.jpg|Overview of the construction site from
Davidovac on the Yugoslavian side towards
Gura Văii on the Romanian site, the viaducts of the new
DN6 trunk road and of the Craiova-Caransebeș railway are also seen under construction on the Romanian side File:Tri delimično izgrađena prelivna polja na desnoj obali Dunava, Đerdap.jpg|Opened floodgates during construction File:Izgradnja mašinske zgrade hidroelektrane Đerdap I.jpg|The foundations for the turbine and aggregates on the Romanian side File:Portile de Fier 40640X4X5.jpg|Engineers working on the turbine shaft on the Romanian side File:Maketa HE Đerdap I.jpg|Model of the power station made in Belgrade File:Josip Broz Tito, obilazak HE Đerdap I tokom puštanja u rad 1972. godine.jpg|
Josip Broz Tito on the opening day, 16 May 1972 == See also ==