View of the Dniester Hydroelectric Power Plant No. 1
The decision was motivated by the fact that, as the Ukrainian side stated at the commission meeting, the water level in the hydroelectric power plant’s reservoir continues to drop rapidly. During the first ten days of August, it dropped by 25 cm and currently stands at approximately 112.7 meters. Moreover, according to Ukrainian experts, a water level of 112 meters in the reservoir is critical for the hydroelectric power plant’s operation. It is almost certain that by the end of August, it will drop to this level.
For their part, Moldovan experts point out that the technical documentation of the Dniester agreement does not designate this level as critical. However, the “dead volume”—when the average inflow into the reservoir equals its outflow—is recorded at 102.5 cubic meters per second.
The Moldovan side of the Interstate Commission on the Dniester has requested from the Ukrainian side a technical justification for the conclusion that a level of 112 meters in the reservoir is critical for the operation of the hydroelectric power plant.
In a comment to Logos Press, Ilya Trombitsky, director of the non-governmental organization Eco-TIRAS, noted that at this time it is not known for certain whether reducing the discharge of water from the reservoir into the Moldovan section of the Dniester from the current 85 to 75 cubic meters per second will cause technical problems with water intake. Only time will tell.
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