The strategy was highlighted in President Yelensky’s annual presidential address to the country’s parliament on 28 December, when he said that Ukraine would become a leader in “modern green energy”.
Through renewable and nuclear energy, as well as hydrogen, Ukraine will satisfy its own energy needs and also supply Europe, he added. “This will be a historic strengthening of Ukraine’s role in Europe. We can, and therefore must, become one of the guarantors of European energy security.”
Maxim Timchenko, chief executive of Kyiv-headquartered energy company DTEK, which has interests along the supply chain including mining, plant operation, networks and customer supply, said he fully supported Ukraine’s target of installing 30GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. “You cannot win today if you do not start planning for the future,” he said.
Half of the energy generated from the 30GW of renewables Ukraine plans to install would be available for export, according to Timchenko, “either as green electricity or green hydrogen”. He pointed to good sites for wind projects along the Azov coastline and in western Ukraine.
Timchenko estimates the necessary investment, including for grid, storage and transport requirements, at €40 billion. He said discussions should start as part of Ukraine’s recovery initiatives as soon as the war is over.
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