Opportunities found in the "conflict": building solar energy in Ukraine

Despite Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukraine's solar industry continues to grow. Lena Dias Martins reports on the opportunities solar developers find amid the horrors of war.

Ukraine’s installed renewable energy capacity is growing. This was the message delivered by Dentons partner Maksym Sysoiev at the Large Scale Solar Summit in Central and Eastern Europe (LSS CEE) hosted by PV Tech Power publisher Solar Media late last year. Sysoiev added that “despite the difficulties, new solar power plants are being implemented and completed.”

Although Ukraine's exact installed capacity for solar and other technologies is now considered restricted information, Ukraine's renewable energy sector is growing. As The Guardian revealed last May, Ukraine has built more onshore wind turbines than the UK since the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

Speaking at the "2024 Energy Security Forum" held in February, Andrii Gerus, Chairman of the Energy, Housing and Utilities Commission of Ukraine, revealed that Ukraine commissioned about 500MW solar power plants throughout the year and pointed out that renewable energy power "significantly contributes to Ensure the stable operation of the power system."

To advance this “Year of Investment,” it is necessary to demonstrate security and stability to attract investors. It’s a tough ask for a country in conflict, but Ukraine refuses to back down, instead revising and enacting green policies that incentivize international investors to fund renewable energy in Ukraine, not just for Ukraine’s sake Energy security, but also for the possibility of exporting.

As Sysoiev panelist Kyryll Kostyria, head of the legal department at UDP Renewables, noted, “60% of Ukraine's renewable energy is solar, so the potential for building large export solar projects is high.”