Update on status of Kakhovska hydro project in Ukraine

The water in the Kakhovsky Reservoir continues to recede after the destruction of the dam last week, but the rate has slowed, according to Ihor Syrota, general director of Ukrhydroenergo.

He reported to CNN: “As of June 12, the reservoir has decreased by 50%. As for the volume, according to our estimates, there is 60-70% less water in the Kakhovsky reservoir than it was before the explosion.”

He also emphasized the probable serious consequences for the environment if the water in the reservoir falls below the critical level — about 3 meters. “We hope that the lower hydrotechnical structure remained intact. If so, the level of the Kakhov reservoir may remain within 6-7 meters. If it is damaged, it enters the critical zone,” Syrota said.

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He added that water supply to the Crimean Peninsula can be restored by the summer of next year. “It is clear that the Crimean Canal will be drained, there can be no water there. When Crimea is de-occupied, we will solve the issue comprehensively — solving the problem of water supply to our four regions and Crimea. I think it won’t be until next year, after the flood. If this (de-occupation) does not happen for some reason, then it will simply be a closure of the canal, because we will provide water, first of all, to Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia and Mykolaiv regions,” he said. “These are the regions that will now suffer from water shortages, both for drinking and for industry.”

Ukrhydroenergo also provided an operational update as of 8 am on June 13. At that time, measurements of water levels at the Nikopol post by specialists of the Ukrhydrometeorological center were temporarily suspended due to siltation of the sensors. Specialists of Ukrhydroenergo, together with other organizations, continue to look for other ways of carrying out measurements.

Also, due to a sharp drop in the water level in the lower reservoir of the Dnipro hydropower project, the station’s hydraulic units work with restrictions.

On June 12, Ukrhydroenergo reported that 32 settlements on the right bank of the Dnipro River and 14 settlements on the temporarily occupied territory remain flooded. The evacuation of people from flooded areas continues and the issue of providing the population with drinking and technical water is resolved.

Ukrhydroenergo and the project institute are preparing and will be ready to start work immediately after the deoccupation of the region. The main task is to restore the Kakhov reservoir and water supply to the affected regions as soon as possible.

A representative of Ukrhydroenergo will be discussing the company’s status and need to rebuild the hydropower system during the opening keynote session of HYDROVISION International 2023.

Originally published on hydroreview.com