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On 1 December 2020, the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) together with the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA) held a webinar “Wind power in Ukraine” within the one of the largest wind industry events in Europe – WindEnergy Hamburg 2020.
With the year is coming to a close, it’s time for summing up achievements and failures. Wind sector is not an exception to the rule. Joint WWEA-UWEA webinar focused on an important Eastern European wind power market – Ukraine. Speakers presented Ukraine’s wind energy market under the conditions of legislative changes and COVID-19 pandemic, described risks and challenges for investments and highlighted prospects of “green” hydrogen production in Ukraine.
The focal topics of the presentation by Kateryna Knysh, Head of Analytical department of the UWEA, included current status of the Ukrainian wind power market and its further development prospects, and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on wind development in the country: “In general, we cannot let the coronavirus crisis become a lost opportunity. We need a sustainable future more than ever,” Kateryna Knysh noted. “ National wind power sector demonstrates its resilience despite all challenges the market faces. . As of third half of 2020, the installed wind capacity in the mainland Ukraine has reached 1 251 MW. By the end of 2020, the UWEA expects the total installed wind capacity to be equal to 1 550 MW as new 400 MW are under construction now.” Head of Analytical department also presented the findings of the UWEA’s employment survey conducted among the UWEA member companies in summer 2020.
In her presentation Maryna Hritsyshyna, Council at Sayenko Kharenko presented changes in the RES legislation introduced in 2020. She stressed: “Notwithstanding the challenges of 2020 we anticipate the further development of the wind energy sector in Ukraine. We hope that government will register the draft law that would permit establishing separate balancing groups by the RES producers and the renewable auctions will be finally launched the next year”.
Loic Lerminiaux, UWEA Board Member, GÜRIS, expressed RES investors’ concern about non-fulfilment of the Memorandum by the Government in terms of securing 40% of debts due to the RES producers by the end of the year: “It’s not clear what to expect in 2021 since the State budget does not provide for the required 20% of expenditures for “green” energy. It will have a direct destructive impact on the RES sector of Ukraine. The whole world understands the importance of the “green” transition and sooner or later Ukraine will have to abandon fossil fuel generation in favour of RES one. However, will international investors trust Ukraine at that time? The question is rhetorical.”
President of the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Riepkin talked about the Ukraine’s potential for “green” hydrogen production: “Green” hydrogen has several advantages including cross-sectorial integration, with wind power playing a key role. Ukraine has the second largest wind energy potential in Europe after the United Kingdom; for that reason our country is a strategic partner for Europe in “green” hydrogen production. The success of “green” hydrogen projects depends on three factors: availability of water resources, logistics, i.e. the ability to deliver hydrogen to consumers, and ability to build renewable energy facilities. Ukraine meets all three of these criteria”. According to Oleksandr Riepkin “combining “green” hydrogen and renewable energy is a future of the power system, it’s a new Industrial Revolution”.
Webinar record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgOtkAOdSr4&t=4172s
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