Ukrhydroenergo prepares project to restore Kakhovka HPP dam

The restoration of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station involves two key stages. The first of them has already been implemented on paper — the design and preparation for the construction of a retaining structure in the lower reaches of the Dnipro HPP has been completed.

Oleh Pashchenko, director of Kakhovka HPP, said this in an interview, Ukrhydroenergo reports.

According to him, the construction of a retaining structure in the lower reaches of the Dnipro HPP will partially stabilise the hydrological situation until the full reconstruction of the Kakhovka HPP is completed.

Oleh Pashchenko adds that the second stage will begin after the territory is de-occupied and demined. Only then will experts be able to safely inspect the remains of the destroyed structures, assess their technical condition, dismantle them, and develop a project for the full reconstruction of the hydroelectric power station.

«Before the survey, it is impossible to give any exact financial figures», said Oleh Pashchenko.

He stressed that the restoration of Kakhovka HPP is of strategic importance for Ukraine, as it is not only about energy infrastructure, but also about restoring life in the south — irrigation, water supply, agriculture and returning people to their homes.

As a reminder, on 6 June 2023, Russian troops blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. This caused one of the largest environmental disasters in modern Ukraine.

According to the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District, the flooding covered more than 620 square kilometres of land, with 333,000 hectares of protected areas and 11,294 hectares of forest under water.

Consequences of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station explosion for Mykolaiv region

The news of the Kakhovka HPP dam explosion became known at dawn on 6 June 2023. In a matter of hours, villages and towns in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions were flooded. In particular, the water passed through 13 settlements of the Snihurivka community.

On 9 June, it was reported that the water had risen by 6 metres. It took several weeks for it to recede.

After the disaster, environmental activists, with the support of the Ukrainian Scientific Centre for Ecology, conducted a study to analyse the state of the water bodies after the blast. Samples were taken in the town of Snihurivka and the village of Afanasivka, which were completely cut off by water.

More than 7 bridges in the Snihurivka community were destroyed or demolished by the water. In addition, 375 houses were flooded.

In March 2024, environmental activists, together with the Ukrainian Scientific Centre for Marine Ecology, conducted the fourth environmental mission to investigate the consequences of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station explosion.