Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Considering the importance of maximizing water resources utilization, conducting research and improving current strategies, specifically dams and hydropower, provides several benefits. The role of Karun basin is crucial in supplying meeting the water and electricity of Iran. Therefore, according to the development plan of the Upper Gotvand power plant's, which has a capacity expansion of 640 megawatts (total capacity 1640 MW), maximizing its performance is one of the goals of this research. Construction of an hydropower plant for regulating dam aids in the efficient use of water resources. Therefore, this research also focuses on studying the optimal capacity of the Gotvand regulating power plant. The performance of the Upper Gotvand power plant is modeled. The results of this optimization are the optimal combination of using different production capacities at different hours of the day in each month, as well as the instructions for the monthly operation of the Gotvand regulating dam. The installation capacity of the Gotvand regulating power plant was calculated by simulating downstream conditions and reservoir restrictions for a period of 64 years, using an hourly time step. After doing hydropower calculations for the capacity of many installations, it was determined that an installation capacity of 50 to 60 megawatts is the most optimal choice.</p>