Ukrhydroenergo CEO, Ihor Syrota, has supported the reconstruction of the Kakhovka HPP because the reservoir needs to be restored for a number of reasons, according to Forbes.
One of them is to cover the water shortage in Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, and Dnipro regions, which depended on supplies from the Kakhovka reservoir. Kherson Region lost 94% of its water used for agriculture and industry. Dnipro Region lost 64%, and Zaporizhzhya Region lost 70%. There is no viable alternative now.
There is also the question of how to compensate for the loss of the irrigation system, which was fed from the Kakhovka reservoir. Without it, it is impossible to restore water supply to Crimea after de-occupation.
The full launch of the Zaporizhzhya NPP after de-occupation is impossible without the restoration of the Kakhovka reservoir. And it is unclear how to ensure river navigation on the Dnipro, as the depth at the site of the Kakhovka reservoir is currently up to 2 metres, compared to 16 metres when the reservoir was full.
"If we can resolve these issues without restoring the Kakhovka HPP, then we can discuss whether it is advisable to build a hydroelectric power plant. But for now, a hydroelectric power plant is the only solution to these problems," Syrota said.
On 18 July, the government approved a resolution on a pilot project to start rebuilding the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which was blown up by the Russians.
The Russians occupied and mined the Kakhovka HPP in the first days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and blew it up at 02:50 on 6 June 2023.