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Kakhovka Dam

Coordinates: 46°46′34″N 33°22′18″E / 46.77611°N 33.37167°E / 46.77611; 33.37167
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Kakhovka Dam
The dam's spillway
Kakhovka Dam is located in Ukraine
Kakhovka Dam
Location of Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine
Official nameKakhovska HPS
LocationNova Kakhovka, Ukraine
Coordinates46°46′34″N 33°22′18″E / 46.77611°N 33.37167°E / 46.77611; 33.37167
PurposePower, irrigation, navigation
StatusDestroyed
Construction beganSeptember 1950
Opening date1956; 68 years ago (1956)
Demolition dateJune 6, 2023
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 was 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 were hydroelectric power generation, irrigation and navigation. It was the 6th and the last dam in the Dnieper reservoir cascade. The deep water channel allowed 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 to local government budgets and ₴44.6 million to the national income.[1]

On the morning of 6 June 2023, a significant portion of the dam was destroyed, possibly by an explosion near the dam's center, releasing a large amount of water downstream.[3][4]

Dam

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.[5] It is operated by Ukrhydroenergo.[6][7]

Starting in 2019 significant repairs and expansion were made to the facility.[8][1]

A panorama of the Kakhovka Reservoir and the hydroelectric power station

Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 24 February 2022, the power plant was captured by Russian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[9][10] 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,[11][12] but the dam itself retained structural integrity.[13]

In mid-October 2022, news reports suggested that Russians may have been planning to blow up the dam to slow down the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the region.[14][15][16][17]

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 remained mostly undamaged.[18][19] But then the Russians opened additional sluice gates, allowing water to rush out of the reservoir. At that time the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration in a statement suggested that one of the purposes of draining the reservoir might have been to flood the area south of the dam, in order to keep Ukrainian Forces from crossing the Dnipro River. Officials stated that Ukrhydroenergo, Ukraine's hydro electric company, believed Russian occupiers "opened the station's locks fearing an advance of Ukrainian soldiers."[20]

In early November 2022, the spillways at the dam had been opened, and the Kakhovka Reservoir dropped to its lowest level in three decades, putting irrigation and drinking water resources at risk, as well as the coolant systems for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Between 1 December 2022 and 6 February 2023, the water level dropped 2 meters.[21]

In May 2023, water levels reached their highest recorded levels and water looked like it had started to flow over the top of the dam.[22] This pushed water above normal levels and caused some nearby villages to flood.[23] The rise appeared to be the result of Russia keeping too many gates closed.[22]

Destruction of the dam

On June 6, a significant portion of the dam was destroyed, with water flowing uncontrolled downstream.[4][3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Каховська ГЕС – стійкий розвиток та підтримка регіону" [Kakhovskaya HPP – sustainable development and support of the region]. uhe.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. ^ Ponomarenko, Illia (19 July 2022). "What would a Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson look like?". The Kyiv Independent. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ogirenko, Valentyn; Kelly, Lidia (6 June 2023). "Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson region blown up by Russian forces - Ukraine's military". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Sullivan, Helen (6 June 2023). "Russia-Ukraine war live: dam near Kherson destroyed by Russian forces, says Ukraine, sparking evacuations". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Hydroelectric Power Plants in Ukraine". IndustCards. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  6. ^ "Kakhovska HPS" (in Russian). UGE. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Kahovska (Kakhovka) Hydroelectric Power Plant Ukraine". Global Energy Observatory. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  8. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Soldiers Raise the Russian Flag Over Ukraine Power Plant". GreekReporter.com. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  10. ^ Ingram, Elizabeth (25 February 2022). "Russian forces capture Kakhovka hydropower plant in the Ukraine". Hydro Review. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Ukraine strikes crucial bridge in Nova Kakhovka". Meduza. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Ukrainian forces keep shelling Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant — official". TASS. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Missile attack on Kyiv hydroelectric power plant to not cause catastrophic consequences – Ukrhydroenergo". Interfax-Ukraine. 19 September 2022. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Ukraine war: Zelensky accuses Russia of plot to blow up dam". BBC News. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Factbox: Is the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine about to be blown?". Reuters. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  16. ^ "ISW: Russia may be planning false-flag attack on Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant". Meduza. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  17. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  18. ^ Ingram, Elizabeth (17 November 2022). "UK government issues update on Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine". Hydro Review. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  19. ^ "The moment an explosion rocks dam near Kherson". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  20. ^ "Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant". NPR. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant". NPR. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  22. ^ a b Victor, Daniel (17 May 2023). "Ukraine's Chief Justice Removed From Post Over Corruption Charges". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  23. ^ Evacuations begin after a major dam in southern Ukraine is heavily damaged

Further reading

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