DniproHES is the oldest hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro River and one of the largest hydropower projects in Eastern Europe, operating for over 90 years. Launched in 1932 as part of the industrialization of the Dnipro cascade, the station has undergone serious trials — it was blown up twice during World War II, rebuilt, and significantly modernized after the transition to the Ukrainian energy market. All these stages have shaped the hydroelectric power plant as an object of not only engineering but also historical significance.
In March 2024, the Russians dealt a severe blow to the DniproHES, after which it effectively stopped working. In total, during three years of war, the Russians shelled the station about 50 times. Given the level of threat, a large-scale project to construct a protective engineering structure was launched here. Technical supervision of the work is being carried out by the engineering and consulting company LLC Engineering Corp., a team with practical experience working on critical infrastructure facilities, particularly in complex security conditions. Together with Ukrhydroenergo, engineers are implementing solutions designed to improve the safety, reliability, and long-term operability of the station.
How did DniproHES overcome key challenges throughout its history, from attempts to destroy it to complex post-war reconstruction and modernization? And how did engineering thinking respond to these challenges each time? Read about the turbulent history of Ukraine’s most famous hydroelectric power plant and its protection today in a special project by LIGA.net.
The birth of a giant: how the mighty Dniprelstan was built on the rapids of the Dnipro
The idea to build a large hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro appeared as early as 1905, and engineers Stepan Maksimov and Heinrich Graftio worked on it. However, the plans could not be realized due to World War I. After the war, Soviet engineers proposed various ideas for the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper, but they were imperfect and did not solve the problem of the Dnieper rapids, which hindered navigation.
Ivan Alexandrov, an engineer and scientist who studied the work of his predecessors and developed a project for the largest hydroelectric power plant in Europe, Dniprelstan (short for “Dnipro Electric Station”), managed to tame the Dnipro rapids and build a real hydrotechnical monster. He proposed locating the station in Zaporizhia, between Khortytsia Island and the right-bank colony of Kichkas. The station was to provide energy to the entire industry of the southern Ukrainian region.
Volodymyr Linikov, head of the Zaporizhzhia National University History Museum: “In fact, the Soviet authorities’ main interest in building the dam was not the population of the south, but the production of heavy weapons. After World War I, the communists began to build factories in Zaporizhzhia to manufacture metal for aircraft and tanks, which required enormous amounts of energy. Dniprelstan was not built to light up people’s homes. The first priority was aluminum for aircraft. The second was steel for tanks.
Construction of the DniproHES began on March 15, 1927, by Dniprobud. Initially, due to a lack of technical resources, most of the work was done manually. Over the years, between 3,000 and 11,000 workers were involved in the construction at any given time, and in the final years of construction, this number exceeded 60,000. Most of them were Ukrainians—residents of Ukrainian villages in the south. But over time, Dniprobud became one of the most technically advanced enterprises in the Soviet Union: separate production facilities, mechanical workshops, a sawmill, a concrete plant, compressor stations, and a railway were built here. Foreign equipment was also used: steam cranes and excavators, generators and turbines were supplied from the United States, and equipment for industrial plants was supplied from Europe.
Not only foreign technology was involved in the construction, but also specialists—the Soviet authorities understood that professional advice was indispensable, so they sought highly qualified personnel abroad and paid them slightly higher wages than those working for Dniprobud. It is known that Soviet engineers were advised by Hugh Cooper, head of the world’s most famous American organization for the design and construction of hydroelectric power plants (H.L. Cooper & Co). It was Cooper who proposed building the DniproHES dam in the shape of a horseshoe. The American engineer also insisted that the base of the dam be built of concrete rather than rubble, and that the lock be made with three chambers instead of four.
The station was completed in a record five years—the first hydroelectric unit was commissioned on October 10, 1932, and all nine turbines were launched in just seven years. At that time, this was an unprecedented pace of work, given the scale of the project. As is well known, eight of the nine hydroelectric units were supplied by the American company Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, and the only Soviet turbine was a copy of the American one. The total cost of building the station is not known for certain, but as of 1932, it was estimated at over 250 million rubles — according to experts, this is about $400 million in today’s currency.
Who blew up the DniproHES twice during the war and why, and how it was restored
In its original state, the hydroelectric power plant operated for only nine years—during World War II, two attempts were made to destroy it. Dnipro-Poltava was first blown up by Soviet troops on August 18, 1941. The decision to destroy the station was made to stop the German army’s advance – that was the official version. In reality, the hydroelectric power plant was destroyed so that it would not fall into German hands. When the Red Army retreated, it used the so-called “scorched earth” tactic: they left the enemy with settlements whose industrial, resource, and infrastructure bases had been completely destroyed. So when the enemy began to approach Zaporizhzhia, explosives were flown in from Moscow two days before the demolition and placed in the dam. A total of 20 tons of ammonal. The destruction of the DniproHES was approved by Joseph Stalin himself.
But the Germans restored the destroyed part of the dam in just a year, using their own new equipment — in the summer of 1942, the DniproHES was back in operation. But when the situation on the front changed in favor of the Red Army, the Germans also began to prepare the DniproHES for demolition. In March 1943, they brought in the first 12 train cars of explosives and began mining the dam. In total, they used more than 200 tons of explosives and even aerial bombs — they planned to completely destroy the DniproHES.
When Soviet troops broke through the Wehrmacht’s defenses in the Zaporizhzhia direction, the Germans blew up the station. The explosion destroyed the machine room with turbines and generators, the shield wall, and a significant part of the dam, but the vast majority of the structure still survived.
In 1944, the Soviet authorities decided to rebuild the DniproHES in its original form. The Union recruited builders and collective farmers for this work, most of whom were women. In total, about 50,000 people worked on the restoration of the hydroelectric power station. In 1945, the station’s archives, which had been taken away during the occupation, were found in Czechoslovakia, which helped to restore the original structures in accordance with the drawings. Equipment for the restored station was supplied by the Allies — in particular, General Electric provided new generators. The first unit was launched in March 1947. The station finally began operating with all nine generators only three years later, in 1950. The capacity of the restored hydroelectric power plant exceeded its pre-war capacity by approximately 16%.
Soviet expansion and modernization (1960s-1980s)
In the 1960-s, rapid industrial development and the mechanization of agriculture required new capacity and the development of hydropower. The growth in consumption and the uneven distribution of loads in the energy system of southern Ukraine prompted the Soviet authorities to expand capacity and build a second station next to Dniprelstan — DniproHES-2.
Three locations were considered for its construction: on the left bank of the Dnieper near the dam, on the right bank with water supplied to the hydroelectric power plant via a canal, and on the right bank near the dam. The first location was recognized as the best in terms of technical and economic indicators, and construction began. It took place practically in the very center of Zaporizhzhia, under extremely difficult conditions: the construction site was very cramped, and traffic continued to flow continuously along the dam of the hydroelectric power plant.
The foundation pit for the HPP-2 building was developed in the lower part of the dam, which was under water pressure of almost 40 meters. Construction work near the hydroelectric power plant required caution, precise calculations, and engineering solutions that would not spoil the architectural appearance of the DniproHES. During the development of the rocky soil, a set of special measures was provided for to reduce the seismic impact of explosions on the concrete dam. In total, the work lasted 10 years – on November 25, 1974, the first hydroelectric unit of the Dnipro HPP-2 was put into operation ahead of schedule, and a year later, five more units were completed.
The launch of the second hydroelectric power plant was not only a powerful upgrade to the energy system, but also an important impetus for the development of Zaporizhzhia: old barracks were dismantled in the city and a new Borodinsky microdistrict was built with high-rise buildings, a school, shops, and social facilities. Transport accessibility was enhanced by a new trolleybus line and a zigzag flyover, which provided access to the dam from the left bank. The dam was also widened by 7 meters with the help of cantilever beams, and new bridges connected the right bank with Khortytsia.
DniproHES in post-independence Ukraine and the challenges of wartime
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, DniproHES became part of Ukraine’s energy system. After almost 60 years of operation, the equipment at HPP-1 had become significantly outdated, so in the 1990s, the Ukrainian government began reconstruction with the aim of both modernizing the equipment and increasing the power of the station. The first stage of reconstruction began in 1996 with funding from the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Swiss government. At that time, the capacity of Dnipro HPP-1 was increased by 42 MW, which allowed for an additional 100 million kWh of electricity to be generated annually.
The second stage of reconstruction began in 2007 and continues to this day. During this stage, nearly a hundred pieces of equipment were replaced and the capacity of HPP-1 was tripled compared to the original capacity of the station. The reconstruction of the hydroelectric units continues: five hydroelectric units at HPP-2 have already been upgraded, and work is continuing on the reconstruction of two hydroelectric units at HPP-1 and two at HPP-2.
During the period of independence, a critical challenge for DniproHES was not only the modernization of equipment, but also a significant reduction in energy consumption. After the 1990s, Ukrainian industry began to consume less electricity than during the Soviet era. In addition, the power system was strengthened by such powerful energy facilities as nuclear and thermal power plants. As a result, electricity production was significantly reduced, which accordingly affected the optimization of DniproHES’s operations.
DniproHES after 2022: from reconstruction to survival
On the eve of the full-scale invasion, DniproHES was preparing for scheduled modernization. The reconstruction of the hydroelectric units, begun in 1996 by the Austrian-German company ANDRITZ HYDRO, was to be completed in 2022-2024 and increase the station’s installed capacity by 25.8 MW. In 2023, it was planned to close the dam to motor vehicle traffic for major reconstruction.
On February 24, 2022, peaceful plans were replaced by plans for survival. The occupiers launched their first missile strike on the station’s critical infrastructure on October 31, 2022, hitting an electrical substation. In 2024, the condition of the structure was assessed as critical.
The biggest blow to the Dnipro cascade was the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP by Russian troops on June 6, 2023. This disrupted the operation of the entire cascade of hydroelectric power plants on the Dnipro River — the water level dropped, and the schedules for planned turbine repairs were disrupted. Whereas previously the stations normally discharged water through the turbines, generating electricity, now they simply have to discharge water, losing power.
In the new reality, instead of the planned modernization, it was necessary to carry out urgent repairs, taking into account the new threats and, accordingly, increasing the level of protection of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant. A new project for the restoration and modernization of the station was developed by Ukrhydroproject. Technical supervision of the construction is carried out by the engineering and consulting company LLC Engineering Corp. The company’s engineers carry out independent quality control of construction works, their compliance with the reconstruction project and technical standards.
The role of LLC Engineering Corp. in the reconstruction of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant
LLC Engineering Corp. has become a key partner in ensuring the safety of one of Ukraine’s most important energy facilities. The company’s specialists provide continuous technical supervision of the construction of protective structures that must withstand the modern challenges of wartime.
The role of LLC Engineering Corp.’s consulting engineers goes far beyond ordinary supervision.
It is comprehensive support for the project at all stages of its implementation. The specialists have in-depth technical, geodetic, and engineering knowledge and monitor all stages of the project, starting with land allocation. They assess and minimize risks in dialogue with the customer, analyze optimal technical solutions, help work with the general contractor, coordinate complex technical processes, and monitor the pricing policy of contractors.
Natalia Shamray, Director of the LLC Engineering Corp. office in Dnipro: “Why can’t a contractor independently control the quality of their own work? The answer lies in the principle of independent control. We work as independent experts in technical supervision of work performance in accordance with design, estimate, and working documentation. Our task is to ensure compliance with the requirements of regulatory documents regarding the procedure for performing and accepting work. Independent control guarantees the objectivity of the assessment and compliance with the highest quality standards.”
One of the features of working at DniproHES is the use of the “design and build” system, an approach where construction and design happen at the same time to save time. Before, in peacetime, they would first order a design, it would go through an expert review, and only then would they start building. Now, necessity has forced us to rethink our approaches.
“Currently, most critical infrastructure facilities are being built using the ‘design and build’ system. All processes are launched in parallel in order to minimize the gap between the start of construction work and the commissioning of the project,” explains Natalia Shamray.
Today’s engineering challenges are radically different from those faced by builders during World War II. While conventional bombs and artillery shells were the main threats in the 1940s, today’s engineers must contend with high-precision cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and enemy kamikaze drones.
Engineering calculations, innovative technologies, and materials are completely different from what they used to be. Today, engineering and consulting companies help customers find technical solutions that not only ensure the stable operation and functionality of a structure but also guarantee maximum protection of the facility.
LLC Engineering Corp. has become a key partner in ensuring the quality and safety of one of Ukraine’s most important energy facilities. Our task is not only to formally check the documentation or the scope of work performed, but also to constantly monitor each stage of construction. Technical supervision engineers monitor compliance with design decisions, technical regulations, and modern standards on a daily basis, identify deviations in a timely manner, and prevent risks. It is the independence and professionalism of our specialists that guarantee the objectivity of the assessment of the work, transparency of relations between all participants in the process, and the highest quality of the final result,” says Natalia Shamray.
93 years of DniproHES: the story continues
The 93-year history of DniproHES is a chronicle of not only technical but also social changes. The station, born out of the ambitions of Soviet industrialization, has survived two explosions, several reconstructions, and today faces new challenges of wartime.
Each era has presented engineers with its own challenges. Today, DniproHES faces a challenge that has never been seen before: operating under the constant threat of missile strikes. This requires new engineering solutions, new materials, and a new design philosophy.
The history of DniproHES continues. Each new chapter is written by people who know that engineering thought and human perseverance can find an answer to any challenge of the times.