Dam Safety

Russia needs to restore function of Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, Ukraine PM asserts

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Russia needs to restore function of Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, Ukraine PM asserts

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is calling on international partners to put pressure on Russia to restore hydraulic structures at the 351 MW Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

Ukraine said it “calls on all available means to put pressure on Russia to close the gates and restore the hydraulic structures” at the Kakhovka plant, or to allow Ukrainian specialists to do so.

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.

Shmyhal said that after 14 missile attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, the Russians are now trying to deprive Ukrainians of access to water supply.

“After the partial destruction and deliberate opening of Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant gates by the Russians, we are losing thousands of cubic meters of water every day. As a result, some settlements that receive water from the Dnipro may be left without access to drinking water,” said Shmyhal.

At the same time, according to the Prime Minister, the nuclear threat is even greater. A decrease in water level in a storage facility may lead to improper functioning of the cooling systems of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Shmyhal emphasized that the civilized world should not remain silent and called on international partners to take action, otherwise this could turn into an environmental disaster with countless destructive consequences for the entire continent.

On Feb. 6, the State Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety and Emergencies held an extraordinary meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. An issue discussed was the state of filling the Dnipro reservoir cascade and possible risks to water supply in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions. The Ministry of Energy, Ukrhydroenergo and the State Agency of Water Resources were recommended to ensure the rational use of water resources of the Kakhovka reservoir in compliance with the established operating modes of the Dnipro reservoir cascade. In addition, alternative technological solutions should be sought to ensure uninterrupted operation of water intakes at enterprises that provide drinking water to the population of the Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

In November 2022, Hydro Review reported on an intelligence update issued by the UK government’s Ministry of Defence, specifically related to Kahkovka Dam. The UK government’s Ministry of Defence issued an intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine on Nov. 16, specifically related to Kahkovka Dam. On its Twitter account, the government agency said the Kakhovka Dam site was significantly damaged, “almost certainly because of controlled demolitions by retreating Russian forces.”

In February 2022, Hydro Review reported that Russian forces captured the Kakhovka hydropower plant, with multiple new agencies citing video footage reported to show the Russian flag being raised over the facility.