| Dam safety
water also carried rubbish, together with construction waste and sewage, into the Dnieper watershed, and could potentially contaminate supplies of drinking water. “The scale of this event is enormous,” United Nations Development Programme’s Resident Representative in Ukraine, Jaco Cilliers, said. “It is crucial that we understand the full extent of its impact.’
Assistance On 22 June, the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) announced it was to assist in the restoration and modernisation of Ukrhydroenergo’s hydroelectric power plants in the Ukraine, including the Kakhovka plant. The primary objective of this agreement is to address the operational challenges faced by Ukrhydroenergo’s hydropower plants due to the impact of the Russian invasion and will focus on replacing critical equipment, enhancing operational reliability, and improving efficiency across the hydroelectric power plants. Potential investment opportunities will also be identified, with a particular emphasis on the reconstruction of the Kakhovka hydropower plant and its associated infrastructure following the devastating explosion in early June. “I am grateful to the Government of Ukraine
and international partners, particularly the EBRD, for their comprehensive support in implementing Ukrhydroenergo’s key task – restoring hydropower facilities. I am convinced that by working together, we will restore the lost capacity and increase the security of our energy infrastructure,” Ihor Syrota, CEO of Ukrhydroenergo, said Ukrhydroenergo said it is continuing to implement critical measures to restore the Kakhovka hydropower complex. In particular, ongoing negotiations with the World Bank, the EBRD, and European Investment Bank are looking at plans to construct temporary water retention dams in the upper and lower sections of the reservoir. These will enable the accumulation of water levels up to 12.7m and restore supply in the region.
Paramount priority Dam safety must always be given paramount priority,
ICOLD said, acknowledging the difficulties Ukraine is probably experiencing in assuring dam safety across
the country, due to the shortage of operational and maintenance expertise caused by the displacement of people. At its annual meeting in Sweden which was held only days after the dam breach in June, ICOLD said that the incident and its consequences were a major concern to the 1200 assembled delegates from 77 countries around the world, and offered to support and assist Ukraine in any related area that may be of benefit.
References
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65963403
www.planet.com/pulse/navigating-the-kakhovka- dam-collapse-nasa-harvest-consortium-assesses- agriculture-impacts-with-satellite-imagery
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1137797
www.unocha.org/story/ukraine-un-relief-chief-warns- far-reaching-impact-dam-destruction
https://en.uhe.gov.ua
www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/industry-specialists- assess-damage-on-ukraines-breached-nova- kakhovka-dam-08-06-2023
www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01928-8
Above: Floating debris has reached the Black Sea beaches in Odessa, Ukraine
Below: Nova Kakhovka dam collapse captured on Google Maps © Rokas Tenys /
Shutterstock.com
Left: The Kakhovka hydroelectric station pictured in September 2019 © Yehor Milohrodskyi /
Shutterstock.com
www.waterpowermagazine.com | August 2023 | 29
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