China to help Iran build world's tallest dam

China will join Iran in building the world's tallest dam in the Islamic state, Iran's energy minister was quoted as saying on Monday.

"One of the major events in the water sector of the country is to sign the finance contract with China for execution of Bakhtiari dam," energy minister Majid Namjoo was quoted as saying by the ministry's website.

"This is the world's tallest dam ... The contract will be signed between Iran and China on Monday," he said.

Mohammadreza Rezazadeh, managing director of Iran's Water and Power Resources Development Company, said the Chinese firm Sinohydro Corporation and its Iranian counterpart Farab would be involved in construction of the dam in the western province of Lorestan, state-run English language Press TV website reported.

Rezazadeh said the contract was worth $2 billion. The dam would be 315 metres high (1033 feet) and would hold Iran's largest reservoir of about 4.8 billion cubic metres.

Construction will begin in the next Iranian year (which starts on March 21). The project will support a 1,500 megawatt hydroelectric power station.