Large-scale flooding due to the destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP damaged at least 500 MW of RES capacities in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, in particular in the temporarily occupied territories.
This was stated by the head of the Association of Solar Energy of Ukraine (ASEU), Artem Semenyshyn, reports Energoreforma.
He emphasized that, according to preliminary estimates, at least 500 MW is completely or partially damaged or currently unable to supply electricity to the grid. Of them, 334 MW of the power of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station itself, which is not subject to restoration. More than 150 MW of solar power plants were also damaged to varying degrees, including almost 130 MW of industrial ground-based SES
"The heavy water has caused enormous damage to some operating solar plants in the South. Even the prolonged stay of panel and transformer equipment under the water column leads to significant damage to generating capacities or the threat of failure in the future," Semenyshyn said.
He explained that shutdown of substations due to flooding makes it impossible to supply power to other grid SESs. This also causes significant losses to Ukraine, because electricity has to be imported.
"Of course, all damages and losses will be accurately calculated much later, but it is already obvious that this disaster has had a significant impact on renewable generation in Ukraine," the ASEU director emphasized.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that in the Mykolaiv Oblast due to the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP flooded two solar power plants.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management stated that the undermining of the dam at the Kakhovskaya HPP led to the man-made disaster and emergency environmental situation, which brings destruction with deep and irreversible changes in nature and ecological losses.