The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) may support the reorganisation of the central water pumping station in Ukraine's Odessa region. The Bank considers the provision of a USD 92 mln credit facility.
During a working visit to Odessa Region, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Roman Leshchenko, together with Sergey Grynevetskyi, Head of the Odessa Region State Administration, visited the central pumping station of the Lower Dniester Irrigation System, which was built in 1968. The facility is included in the list of those that are planned to be repaired and updated within the framework of the National Strategy for Irrigation Restoration in the Odessa Region.
The station is designed to supply water for irrigation on an area of ​​34.4 thousand hectares; water intake occurs from the Dniester River, in the village of Mayaki, Belgorod-Dniester region. According to experts, pumping and power equipment has long since exhausted its double resource. Over the past 50 years of operation at the central pumping station of the Lower Dniester irrigation system, there were 16 major accidents, leading to the shutdown of the pumping station for 5 to 32 days.
Photo: Odessa Regional State Administration
400-500 thousand hryvnias are spent annually on repairs at the expense of agricultural producers who use water for irrigation.
According to Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Roman Leshchenko, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is ready to allocate $ 92 million for the project, which will allow to completely reconstruct the STS and expand the irrigated area of ​​the Lower Dniester system from 12,000 to 40,000 hectares.
The pumping station is designed to supply water for irrigation in an area of 34.4 thou. ha, the water intake comes from the Dniester River in the village of Mayaky of Bilhorod-Dniester district.
According to experts, the pumping and power equipment has long served its double resource. And in spite of the fact that routine and capital repairs are performed at the pumping station, the malfunctions are permanent: over the past 50 years of its operation, 16 major breakdowns occurred, which resulted in the shutdown of the pumping station for a period from 5 to 32 days," the message reads.
Each year, UAH 400-500 thou. are spent on repairs, which are paid for by agricultural producers who use the water for irrigation.
