Event video: 1-2 sessions, 3-4 sessions
This year’s topic of the conference 13th European-Ukrainian Energy Day is “New Energy Reality: Ukraine’s Post-War Recovery and Energy Sector Outlook”.
UNIDO became the Bronze Partner of the event.
The event was devoted to current issues and questions of the future of the energy sector with a focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. The conference was held in Vienna with the participation of more than 100 guests, including representatives of key agencies involved in energy sector reforms, representatives of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, GiZ, UNIDO, and RES producers.
Among the speakers of the conference were: Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Yaroslav Demchenkov, Member of the NEURC Oleksiy Magda, Deputy Director General for the European Commission Directorate General for Energy Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Director of Energy Community Secretariat Artur Lorkowski, Head of EIB Resident Representation in Ukraine Jean-Erik de Zagon, Deputy Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Mark Magaletsky, Industrial Development Officer of UNIDO Marco Matteini, Chairman of the Board NPC “Ukrenergo” Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, representatives of IFC and representatives of leading RES investor companies such as DTEK Renewables, Emergy, Guris and Scatec. The event was organized jointly with the Trade Department of the Austrian Embassy in Ukraine at the premises of Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
Opening the first panel discussion, Yaroslav Demchenkov noted in his speech that “the latest missile attacks of the previous week were not an isolated blow to the energy system of Ukraine. It was an attack on the energy security of the European continent. Everything that is happening today in the energy sector of Ukraine and the EU is a stress test of the ability of a united Europe to protect its values and prevent energy poverty.” He also emphasized that at the tactical level, the task of the ministry is to diversify the supply of energy carriers and accelerate the energy transition. At the same time, the goal at the strategic level is to strengthen European energy security, decarbonization and de-weaponization of energy resources.
Jean-Erik de Zagon noted that Ukraine must ensure a green transition within the framework of the National Recovery Plan of Ukraine in order to successfully integrate into the European economy. He also emphasized that the EIB will not consider new investments in fossil-related projects. EIB aims to support projects on the development of green energy, the strengthening of Ukrainian power transmission capacities to the EU, and the reconstruction of energy infrastructure.
Mark Magaletsky, Deputy Head of the EBRD in Ukraine, announced the following priorities in the work of the EBRD: 1) liquidity support of existing clients; 2) investments in the restoration of energy infrastructure and support of critical infrastructure facilities; 3) under condition of a favorable security situation, investments in RES. In addition, energy storage development projects are also a priority for the EBRD. At the end of the speech, the speaker emphasized that the EBRD has been supporting and plans to continue to support Ukraine.
Speaking in the second panel discussion, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of “Ukrgasbank”, Rodion Morozov, emphasized that it is impossible to postpone reconstruction until complete victory. The bank is already working on the preparation of support programs for those enterprises in need. In the medium term, Ukrgasbank plans to play a significant role in the financing of RES and ESG projects.
Iryna Grechana, financial director of Scatec Ukraine, also spoke in the third discussion. Iryna said that the company continues to generate 95% of its own production capacity, despite all the current market challenges. Moreover, Scatec continues to cooperate with communities and implement social and humanitarian projects. The Norwegian company “Scatec” has positive outlook for new projects in Ukraine given favorable conditions for investments and investors’ involvement in discussions with relevant ministries and regulatory bodies.
During the fourth panel, the pressing issues of RES electricity producers were discussed. The discussion was opened by Dirk Buschle, Deputy Director of the Energy Community Secretariat. He emphasized that, from his point of view, there will be renaissance of the RES sector in Ukraine as well as in Europe. The renaissance of RES sector should happen not only with the participation of donors, but also with the involvement of existing players in the sector and new investors. For this, it is important to solve all the pressing issues of the sector, including debt obligations, which had already been discussed before the start of the war. The next step is to prepare the regulatory framework in accordance with European standards, including the implementation of the system of guarantees of origin in Ukraine. In addition, it is important to plan the implementation of storage systems for electricity.
After that, the Chairman of the Management Board of NPC Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, spoke and emphasized the importance of RES for the energy sector of Ukraine and the importance of creating an appropriate regulatory environment in Ukraine for the development of the sector. In his opinion, today’s market price of electricity and the improvement of intersections with the European energy system allow us to predict decent profits for RES investors.
Ihor Retivov, Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs of DTEK Renewables, also emphasized the importance of a transparent regulatory environment for the development of RES and the improvement of relevant legislation. Ihor mentioned that the recommencement of investment projects in the RES sector depends on the state’s actions. “RES is no longer a trend, but an ideology,” noted Ihor.
The speakers of Energy Day also considered the composition and energy balance of the future energy sector of Ukraine. Several speakers emphasized the need for cooperation between donors, the state and the private sector, as well as the importance of implementing a green transition during recovery. “The cooperation of international partners, donors and private investors is an important factor for the successful recovery and development of the energy sector. The EUEA is already an established platform for investor cooperation and we will be glad to promote further strengthening of cooperation between the private sector, regulators and European partners,” said the director of the EUEA, Kateryna Polyakova.
European-Ukrainian Energy Day is the major annual showcase conference, bringing together key players from the Ukrainian, European, and international government sectors; local and international industries to present, analyze, and debate the most relevant issues affecting the growth of the EE and RE sectors in Ukraine in the context of the Association Agreement with the EU, Paris Agreement and the EU Green Deal.
Established in 2009, EUEA – is an independent non-profit organization open to all participants of the energy efficiency and renewable energy market of Ukraine, who aim to constructively cooperate with like-minded companies. Together, we aim to contribute to the transparent development of these markets by promoting fair and sustainable business development, increasing public awareness of energy issues, and influencing government energy policy. The EUEA’s priority areas of activity are Energy Efficiency (with sub-groups in the construction sector, district heating, industry and energy from waste), Bioenergy (including biomass and biogas), Wind and Solar Energy, Smart Grids, Project Financing and the Energy Community Treaty.