A Case Study in the Environmental Risks of War: Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant

The case study examines the potential cascading effects of a successful attack on the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP). It argues that the destruction of such infrastructure triggers a chain of risks: immediate power loss for up to 370,000 end users, a shift toward environmentally damaging backup energy sources like biomass, and the failure of critical environmental management systems. Furthermore, a dam breach would cause catastrophic flooding for over 5 million people along the Dnieper River and potentially release contaminants from industrial sites like the Prydniprovsky Chemical Plant into the water system.

• A successful attack on the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP) would have caused an immediate loss of power for approximately 160,000 to 370,000 homes, businesses, or other end users, as the plant's 20 turbines produce 420 megawatts at full capacity.
• Power disruptions create secondary environmental risks by forcing a reliance on distributed energy generation, such as biomass and fossil fuels, which increases hazardous air pollution and depletes fuel stocks needed for defense and evacuation.
• Loss of electricity inhibits essential environmental management services, as seen in Eastern Ukraine where pump failures at mining sites increased heavy metal water contamination, and in the Chernobyl exclusion zone where electricity is required for cooling pools containing approximately 22,000 spent fuel rods.
• The total destruction of the KHPP dam wall would release a surge wave threatening more than 5 million people in urban areas along the Dnieper River and risking the release of radioactive and industrial materials from sites such as the Prydniprovsky Chemical Plant.

APA

The Council on Strategic Risks (2022). A Case Study in the Environmental Risks of War: Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2022/04/07/a-case-study-in-the-environmental-risks-of-war-kyiv-hydroelectric-power-plant/

Chicago

The Council on Strategic Risks. A Case Study in the Environmental Risks of War: Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant. 2022. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2022/04/07/a-case-study-in-the-environmental-risks-of-war-kyiv-hydroelectric-power-plant/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=The Council on Strategic Risks |title=A Case Study in the Environmental Risks of War: Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant |date=7 April 2022 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2022/04/07/a-case-study-in-the-environmental-risks-of-war-kyiv-hydroelectric-power-plant/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{thecouncilonstrategicrisks2022case, author = {{The Council on Strategic Risks}}, title = {{A Case Study in the Environmental Risks of War: Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2022/04/07/a-case-study-in-the-environmental-risks-of-war-kyiv-hydroelectric-power-plant/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }