In the village of Kalyny in the Tyachiv region, local residents gathered on the banks of the Teresva River and stopped preparatory work for the construction of a mini-hydroelectric power plant.
This was reported by GroZa News.
Why are residents against it?
According to the villagers, the developer, Hydroresurs-Teresva LLC, does not have the proper permits. But despite this, the company has brought in equipment and cut down dozens of trees on the left bank of the village, near the dam at the water's edge.
People with placards “Against the hydroelectric power plant” came out to protest both near the river and gathered indoors. They demanded to stop the developer's illegal actions.
Photo: groza-news.info.
Residents say that the developer does not have the necessary permits. The company also did not receive an environmental impact assessment (EIA), as the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine suspended the relevant procedure in June 2024. According to community representatives, the documents available to the company relate to another site.
The publication reminded that the Kalyn community had previously expressed its position on such projects. In October 2018, local residents collected more than 2,200 signatures against the construction of the hydropower plant. Currently, lawsuits are underway in which Kalyn residents are challenging urban planning documentation and land allocation, the journalists say.
What the developer's representatives say
Kalyny residents called the police to the site where the work is being carried out. Representatives of the company explained to law enforcement officers that these actions were allegedly “preparatory work for future construction” based on a decision of the executive committee of the Dubove village council. However, they did not provide the police with any document confirming the legality of the work.
Photo: groza-news.info.
After talking to law enforcement, the developer's representatives and the workers involved in the felling left the area.
What the company has planned
Hydroresurs-Teresva LLC intends to build a cascade of at least five mini-hydroelectric power plants on the Teresva River: in the villages of Kalyny, Bedevlya, Krasna, Dubove, and in case of “failure” – in Neresnytsia.
The project envisages damming the riverbed along a 24-kilometer stretch.
What is the opinion of environmentalists?
Members of the Ukrainian Environmental Protection Group (UPG) are convinced that the construction of small hydropower plants does not solve the country's energy problems, as their capacity is negligible. They warn that the consequences for rivers, biodiversity and tourism from their construction will be catastrophic.
“In addition, such construction contradicts Ukraine's international obligations to the EU – in particular, the principle of “do no significant harm” (DNSH). Compliance with this principle is one of the conditions for receiving funding under the Ukraine Facility program,” the UPG reminded.
EcoPolitic reported in early June 2024 that in Kalyny village of the Dubove community in Zakarpattia region, representatives of the local community at the hearing categorically opposed the construction of small hydropower plants on the Teresva river. And on July 1, it became known that the Ministry of Ecology had suspended consideration of the construction documents submitted by Hydroresource-Teresva LLC to obtain conclusions on the environmental impact assessment of 2 channel mini-hydroelectric power plants on the Teresva.
