[2][3] The dam is being implemented by Turkey's State Hydraulic Works and constructed by a consortium of Turkish, Russian and Swiss companies.

The dam is named after İbrahim Deriner, who died while serving as the Chief Engineer of its research team.

The feasibility study for the Deriner Dam was not completed until 1987 and was carried out by the Swiss branch of Poyry Energy and Turkey's Dolsar Engineering.

The cost of relocating roads in such a mountainous area would be high and the need for agricultural, not electric development was deemed a higher priority.

After negotiations and the signing of a protocol between the Turkish and Russian governments at the 1994 Turkish-Russian Mixed Economic Commission in Moscow, Turkey's State Hydraulic Works was authorized to move forward with the dam.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the dam was completed and approved in 1995 and funding to begin the project was available in 1997.

A total of 3,400,000 m3 (4,400,000 cu yd) of concrete forms the dam's body which also contains its orifice spillway.

Contained in the power house are vertical Francis turbines that have a combined capacity of 670 MW and annual generation of 2,118 GWh.