Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant

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Kakhovka Dam
Kakhovka HES.jpg
The dam's spillway
Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is located in Ukraine
Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant
Location of Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine
Official nameKakhovska HPS
LocationNova Kakhovka, Ukraine
Coordinates46°46′34.12″N 33°22′17.44″E / Coordinates: 46°46′34.12″N 33°22′17.44″E / 
PurposePower, irrigation, navigation
StatusOperational
Construction beganSeptember 1950
Opening date1956; 67 years ago ()
Owner(s)Energy Company of Ukraine
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarth-fill embankment with gravity sections
ImpoundsDnieper River
Height30 m (98 ft)
Length3,273 m (10,738 ft)
Reservoir
CreatesKakhovka Reservoir
Total capacity18,180×10^6 m3 (14,738,766 acre⋅ft)
Surface area2,155 km2 (832 sq mi)
Power Station
Operator(s)Ukrhydroenergo
Commission date1955–1956
Turbines3 x 58.5, 3 x 60.5 MW propeller
Installed capacity357 MW
Annual generation1.4 TWh

The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station is a run-of-river power plant on the Dnieper River in Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine. Nova Kakhovka is a port city located on the reservoir's southern bank. The primary purposes of the dam are hydroelectric power generation, irrigation and navigation. It is the 6th and the last dam in the Dnieper reservoir cascade. The deep water channel allows shipping up and down river.[1] The facility also includes a winter garden.

The P47 road and a railway cross the Dnieper River on the dam.[2]

The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant had 241 staff in October 2015. The director is Yaroslav Kobelya from September 2012. As of 2019, the dam was profitable bringing 6.1 million UAH to local government budgets and 44.6 million UAH to the national income.[1]

Dam[edit]

The dam has an associated lock and a power station with an installed capacity of 357 MW. Water from Kakhovka Reservoir is cooling the 5.7 GW Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and also sent via the North Crimean Canal and Dnieper–Kryvyi Rih Canal to irrigate large areas of southern Ukraine and northern Crimea. Construction on the dam began in September 1950. The last generator was commissioned in October 1956.[3] It is operated by Ukrhydroenergo.[4][5]

Starting in 2019 significant repairs and expansion were made to the facility.[6][1]

A panorama of the Kakhovka Reservoir and the hydroelectric power station

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[edit]

On 24 February 2022, the power plant was captured by Russian forces during the 2022 Invasion of Ukraine.[7][8] During weeks of artillery attacks by Ukraine in August and September, Ukrainian and Russian officials reported that the facility's ability to transport vehicles had been degraded,[9][10] but the dam itself retained structural integrity.[11]

In mid-October 2022, news reports suggested that Russians may be planning to blow up the dam to slow down the Ukrainian counter offensive in the region.[12][13][14][15]

On 11 November, a large explosion occurred on the dam, shown on CCTV footage. The road and rail sections were destroyed, but the dam itself was mostly undamaged.[16][17]

Since early November 2022, the spillways at the dam have been opened, and the Kakhovka Reservoir has dropped to it's lowest level in 3 decades, putting irrigation and drinking water resources at risk, as well as the coolant systems for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Between December 1st, 2022 and February 6th, 2023 the water level has dropped 2 meters. [18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Каховська ГЕС – стійкий розвиток та підтримка регіону" [Kakhovskaya HPP – sustainable development and support of the region]. uhe.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. ^ Ponomarenko, Illia (19 July 2022). "What would a Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson look like?". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Hydroelectric Power Plants in Ukraine". IndustCards. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Kakhovska HPS" (in Russian). UGE. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Kahovska (Kakhovka) Hydroelectric Power Plant Ukraine". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  6. ^ Timchenko, V. M.; Korzhov, Ye I.; Guliayeva, O. A.; Batog, S. V. (2015). "Dynamics of Environmentally Significant Elements of Hydrological Regime of the Lower Dnieper Section". Hydrobiological Journal. 51 (6): 75–83. doi:10.1615/HydrobJ.v51.i6.90. ISSN 0018-8166.
  7. ^ "Soldiers Raise the Russian Flag Over Ukraine Power Plant". GreekReporter.com. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  8. ^ Ingram, Elizabeth (25 February 2022). "Russian forces capture Kakhovka hydropower plant in the Ukraine". Hydro Review. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Ukraine strikes crucial bridge in Nova Kakhovka". Meduza.
  10. ^ "Ukrainian forces keep shelling Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant — official". TASS.
  11. ^ "Missile attack on Kyiv hydroelectric power plant to not cause catastrophic consequences – Ukrhydroenergo". Interfax-Ukraine. 19 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Ukraine war: Zelensky accuses Russia of plot to blow up dam". BBC News. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Factbox: Is the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine about to be blown?". Reuters. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  14. ^ "ISW: Russia may be planning false-flag attack on Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant". Meduza. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  15. ^ Kilner, James; Bowman, Verity (20 October 2022). "'Atomic bomb' of water would be released by Russian false flag attack on Kherson dam". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  16. ^ Ingram, Elizabeth (17 November 2022). "UK government issues update on Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine". Hydro Review.
  17. ^ "The moment an explosion rocks dam near Kherson". BBC News.
  18. ^ "Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant". NPR. 6 February 2023.

Further reading[edit]

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