Dam Safety

Russian forces capture Kakhovka hydropower plant in the Ukraine

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Russian forces capture Kakhovka hydropower plant in the Ukraine
(photo courtesy UkrHydroEnergo)

News agencies are reporting that Russian forces have captured the 351 MW Kakhovka hydropower plant in the Ukraine, citing video footage reported to show the Russian flag being raised over the facility.

The plant, on the Dnieper River in the Kherson Oblast (province) of southern Ukraine, was put into service in 1956. Rehabilitation and upgrade work was completed in 2013. In 2021, Kakhovka generated more than 1 billion kWh of electricity.

The Ukrainian state-owned utility, PJSC UkrHydroEnergo, owns and operates Kakhovka, and the company reported on Feb. 23 that the plant was “taken under heightened protection by the National Guard of Ukraine, the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine.” Together with the plant’s departmental paramilitary guard, law enforcement agencies were providing round-the-clock protection of this critical infrastructure.

Russian forces invaded the Ukraine on Feb. 23, and Kherson was one of the early targets.

“We keep calm and work normally, provide electricity, adhere to the water regime and monitor the waterworks. Employees of the station are aware of safety issues and during planned trainings work out actions during emergencies,” said Oleh Pashchenko, director of the Kakhovka hydropower project. PJSC UkrHydroEnergo said it “is ready to operate in isolation” to provide electricity to the United Energy System of Ukraine.

In addition, heightened protection was provided to the Kyiv, Dnipro and Dniester hydropower projects.

On the morning of Feb. 25, PJSC UkrHydroEnergo Chief Executive officer Ihor Syrota issued a statement, saying the company continues to operate stably. “These days we are going through extremely difficult times caused by the military aggression of the enemy. The purpose of the armed invasion is obvious: to seize power in our country and forcibly change Ukraine’s free choice,” he said. Syrota emphasized that the company continues to participate in all segments of the electricity market.

On Feb. 28, UkrHydroEnergo posted an operational report on its website that included this statement about the plant: “Kakhovka HPP is working. Operational staff changes daily. We do not report other data for security reasons of our employees.” The report also said: “Hydropower engineers and our colleagues from contractors, especially from Dnipro-SGEM and Ukrhydroenergobud, who work at stations and are not currently involved in operational work or security, have joined the manufacture of anti-tank structures, assist the Armed Forces of Ukraine and territorial defense units, transport, basic necessities and food. Many hydropower workers have personally joined the ranks of terrorist defense in various parts of Ukraine and are helping to protect stations and cities.”

According to the International Hydropower Association’s 2021 Hydropower Status Report, the Ukraine has 6,229 MW of installed hydroelectric generating capacity, which includes 1,563 MW of pumped storage hydro. Total generation by hydropower in the country in 2021 was 4.85 TWh.