Examples of environmental harm in Ukraine | return to map

Name: Vuhlehirska Thermal Power Plant
Location: Svitlodarsk, Donetsk Oblast

CEOBS database ID: 10015

Context

Vuhlehirska Thermal Power Plant (TPP) is a fossil fuel-powered thermal plant with a capacity of 3,600 MW, making it the second largest power plant in Ukraine after Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Located in the west of Donetsk Oblast on a 3 km² site, it was first commissioned in 1972 and operated by the company Centrenergo. The plant can use coal, gas and oil. 

Vulheheriska has been impacted by the fighting in the Donbas since 2014. High voltage power lines had been damaged and it had been operating at reduced capacity due to restrictions on fuel supplies. The plant was militarily occupied in July 2022 and by early 2024 remained close to the frontline.

Timeline of key incidents 

10th March 2022 

Shelling damaged a high pressure gas pipeline that fuelled the plant, causing a major fire visible from the neighbouring town of Svitlodarsk. 

Fighting prevented repairs to the pipeline for nine days; however, back-up power sources ensured that the site remained operational. It is unclear whether the fire burned strongly until the 19th March. Thermal anomalies in the vicinity of the damaged pipeline were recorded by satellites until the 14th.

12th June 2022

Shelling of the plant caused large fires. Video footage showed fires burning at oil tanks and the plant’s administrative building, which was later confirmed as destroyed. 

3rd July 2022

Shelling again caused fires at the plant. Satellites confirmed fire hotspots, while analysis after the incident suggested that the same fuel tanks were affected, with a large burned area visible within the facility.   

26th July 2022

Following a failed attempt to capture the site on the 24th July, advancing military forces took over the plant on the 26th July. 

Damage assessment  

Substantial damage is visible across the site in satellite imagery and in drone footage filmed after its occupation in July 2022. This is most evident in the administrative buildings in the east of the facility, which were hit in June 2022. Damage is also visible to the first stage thermal processing building and a pumping station on the Vulheriske Reservoir. While some damage to the roof of the thermal processing building is visible in imagery from August 2022, satellite comparisons suggest it had worsened by September 2023.¹ No incidents were reported in this period but it is possible the additional damage was as a consequence of earlier structural damage.

The largest fires appear to have occurred at oil tanks in the east of the facility, where satellite imagery also shows oil spills. Further damage appears likely to have been caused at oil tanks in the west of the facility.

Environmental harm assessment

In 2021, the facility was the 7th highest source of PM10 emissions from coal-fired power in Europe.² Other studies had linked the site to high emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.³ As the site is not currently operational, these day-to-day emissions will have ceased.

The heavy fuel oil fires at the plant will have led to short-term impacts on local air quality: no monitoring data is available but similar incidents suggest that there will have been very high concentrations of particulate matter, NOx, nitrous acid, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, VOCs such as formaldehyde and potentially dioxins, furans and PAHs. 

Oil leaks on compacted ground might lead to infiltration of soils, leaching into groundwater and contaminating surface water bodies – the site is on the shore of Vuhlehirska Reservoir. It is likely that new and legacy pollution at the site will have already entered the reservoir through surface run-off, suspension and groundwater flows. The damage to operational buildings will have generated significant quantities of potentially contaminated debris, including the likely presence of asbestos. 

The gas pipeline fire of March 2022 fire will have produced substantial quantities of CO₂. While this will have had less environmental impact than if the methane had leaked without burning, natural gas fires can result in respiratory health distress for those exposed. Damage to the ground surrounding the explosion site is visible.⁴ 

Longer-term implications

Damage since 2022 has added to the scale and complexity of legacy pollution at the site. Russia has announced plans to modernise and re-open the plant but it is unclear whether this will address its day-to-day emissions or include remedial work to mitigate existing pollution risks to the site and its surroundings. The energy needs of the “Luhansk People’s Republic” are already served by two other power plants making the work at Vuhlehirska less of a priority for the Russian-backed administration.     

Without intervention, the offsite transport of a range of pollutants are likely to continue, affecting both the neighbouring reservoir and River Luhan.

Dis/mis-information watch

In late May 2022, pro-Russian channels accused Ukraine of shelling the reservoir dam to the south of the power station in order to slow down Russian progress in the area. Ukrainian sources responded, accusing the Russian military of attempting to flood local communities to ensure that they could not evacuate the area.

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