Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Plant

The Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Plant (Ukrainian: Кременчуцька ГЕС, romanized: Kremechutska HES, lit. 'Kremenchuk's HPP') is a run-of-river power plant on the Dnieper River just upstream of Kremenchuk in Svitlovodsk, Ukraine. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and navigation. It is the third dam in the Dnieper cascade and creates the largest reservoir on the river. The dam has an associated lock and a power station with an installed capacity of 624 megawatts (837,000 hp). It is operated by Ukrhydroenergo.^[1][2]

Kremenchuk Dam
Top of power plant
Location of Kremenchuk Dam in Ukraine
Official name	Кременчуцька ГЕС
Location	Svitlovodsk, Ukraine
Coordinates	49°4′39.13″N 33°15′02.17″E
Purpose	Power, navigation
Status	Operational
Construction began	1954
Opening date	1959; 66 years ago (1959)
Owner(s)	Government of Ukraine
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Earth-fill embankment with gravity sections
Impounds	Dnieper River
Length	10,500 m (34,400 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Kremenchuk Reservoir
Total capacity	13,520×10^6 m3 (10,960,842 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity	8,700×10^6 m3 (7,053,205 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	2,250 km2 (869 sq mi)
Maximum length	172 km (107 mi)
Maximum width	40 km (25 mi)
Power Station
Operator(s)	Ukrhydroenergo
Commission date	1959-1960
Hydraulic head	14.2 m (47 ft)
Turbines	12 x 52 MW propeller
Installed capacity	624 MW
Annual generation	1.5 TWh

History

Construction on the dam began in May 1954, the reservoir began to fill in October 1959, the last generator was commissioned in 1960 and the dam and power plant were inaugurated in 1961.^[3]

Russo-Ukrainian War

On the morning of October 31, 2022, Russian forces launched a massive missile strike on critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. In particular, a missile hit was recorded on the premises of the Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Station.^[4][5] In December 2024, an anti-drones protection project was commissioned for the dam to protect it against Russian attacks.^[6]

See also

• Hydroelectricity in Ukraine