Oskil Dam Explained

Oskil Dam
Location Map:Ukraine Kharkiv Oblast#Ukraine
Location:Oskil, Ukraine
Purpose:Power, irrigation
Status:Destroyed
Construction Began:1954
Demolished:April 2, 2022
Owner:Water of Donbas
Dam Type:Earth-fill embankment with gravity sections
Dam Crosses:Oskil River
Res Name:Oskil Reservoir
Plant Turbines:2 × 1,840 kW
Plant Capacity:3,680 kW
Plant Annual Gen:15 million kWh

The Oskil Dam (uk|Оскільська ГЕС), also known as the Oskil Hydroelectric Station, was a former hydroelectric plant in Eastern Ukraine along the Oskil River. The plant first began operation in 1958, and was destroyed on April 2, 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

History

During the 1950s, the Soviets began to plan for the construction of a series of infrastructure projects to alleviate the water shortage surrounding the Siverskyi Donets. They decided on the construction of the Siverskyi Donets – Donbas Canal and the Oskil Dam.

The construction of dam first began in 1954, and was completed by 1956. The construction for the power plant soon also completed by 1957, and both began operation in 1958. Since then, the dam has created the Oskil Reservoir as a water source for the local population.

On April 2, 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian War, the power plant was destroyed as a result of Russian shelling. This destruction caused the water from the reservoir to create flooding in the downstream areas.[1] The cost of the flooding is estimated to be about 3 million Hryvnias.[2]

Characteristics

The Hydroelectric plant is located on the Oskil River, near the town of Oskil. The dam is 1,025m long and 20m wide. The power plant contains the engine room, which is located on the right bank of the river, and also has 2 turbines to generate electricity. Each turbine generates 1,840 kW, making the total capacity of the plant to be 3,680 kW. The average annual electrical production is about 15 million kWh,[3] which increased to 20 million kWh after some modernization efforts.[4] The power plant was operated under the "Donbass Water Company" during its period of operation.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Should the Oskil Reservoir be rebuilt after the war? . Ukraine Nature Conservation Group . May 31, 2022 .
  2. Web site: Damages from the undermining of the reservoir dam reached 3 billion UAH in Kharkiv region . EcoPolitic . July 20, 2023 .
  3. Водне господарство в Україні / За ред. А. В. Яцика, В. М. Хорєва. — К.: Генеза, 2000. — 456 с.
  4. Web site: Компания "Вода Донбасса" займется оптовой продажей электроэнергии . Корреспондент Донецка . September 20, 2010 . uk.
  5. Web site: Щит на Краснооскольской плотине установлен . Комунальное предприятие «Компания "Вода Донбасса"» . March 11, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402101915/http://www.voda.dn.ua/novosti/novosti-kompanii/76-shchit-na-krasnooskolskoj-plotine-ustanovlen . 2015-04-02 . uk.