Monte Cotugno Dam, Italy

A dam and an aqueduct to supply water to two regions. This is the task of the hydroelectric complex centered around the Monte Cotugno Dam, near Potenza, in Basilicata. Near the structure, the Sinni Aqueduct has also been built, which is about 65 km long and transports water with a flow rate of 20 m³/s.

The two structures constitute one of the most important water schemes in southern Italy and were built between 1972 and 1982 (the dam) and between 1974 and 1984 (the aqueduct). With its 11.6 million m³ of earthfill, it is the largest dam of its kind in Europe. It is 70 meters high and 1850 meters long, and it forms a reservoir with a volume of 553,000,000 m³.

The project aims to provide water for industrial, drinking, and irrigation purposes to an area of approximately 150,000 hectares, extending all the way to Taranto, in Puglia.