The flood in southern Ukraine caused by the demolition of the Kakhovka HPP dam resulted in the loss of at least 500 MW of renewable energy generation capacity in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Artem Semenyshyn, head of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine, said this in a commentary for Reform.Energy.
Power generation capacity lost due to the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP
The 500 MW of lost power generation capacity mentioned by Artem Semenyshyn includes:
- 334 MW capacity of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which cannot be restored before the territories occupied by Russia are regained;
- over 150 MW of solar solar power plant capacity, including nearly 130 MW from ground-mounted industrial SPPs.
"The big water inflicted enormous damage on some solar power plants in the south. The prolonged immersion of panel and transformer equipment alone causes significant damage to power generation capacities or a risk of their further failure," Semenyshyn notes.
In addition, the electrical substations that were shut down due to flooding can no longer transmit power from other in-grid SPPs.
The exact calculation of damage and losses will be possible much later, Semenyshyn said.
According to the Ministry of Energy, two industrial solar power plants were damaged in the Mykolaiv region.
Ihor Syrota, Director General of Ukrhydroenergo, said earlier that the Kakhovka HPP couldn’t be repaired and that it would take $1 billion and five years to build a new one.
The disaster caused the breakdown of nearly 200 substations, and around 20,000 consumers in the Kherson region were left without electricity.
