Will Ukraine's solar market reopen in 2023?

The first half of 2023 has seen a revival in Ukraine’s solar market as some plants resumed operations, including in recently liberated territories. Demand is also picking up among industrial consumers that wish to be less dependent on the common energy grid in case outages return, reports <b>Ian Skarytovsky</b>.

Why is the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine important?

As the last 2 years have shown, Ukrainians still have to fight for their right to clean energy, so the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine has a public duty to be a place of public opinion and unification of responsible business environment for the inevitability of our state’s course to clean and safe renewable energy.

How has Russia impacted Ukraine's solar power industry?

From pv magazine 06/23 The Ukrainian solar power industry has sustained huge losses during the 15 months of fierce hostilities that have followed Russia’s invasion, including almost daily barrages of rocket strikes, kamikaze drone attacks, and artillery shelling.

How much energy does Ukraine use?

Its primary energy supply was 93 Mtoe in 2018, corresponding to around 90% of Poland’s consumption. Ukraine’s energy mix is relatively diversified, with no fuel representing more than 30% of the energy mix. In 2018, the share of coal (the country’s primary fuel) dropped to 30%, followed closely by natural gas (28%) and nuclear (24%).

What percentage of Ukraine's solar power is destroyed?

Some 13% of Ukraine’s solar generation capacity is in territories controlled by Russian forces while around 8% is considered damaged or completely destroyed. This is according to reports from Oleksiy Orzhel, the recently appointed chairman of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association, who has cited official statistical data.

Should Ukrainian businesses invest in solar power?

Building a solar plant to meet self-consumption requirements, however, is simple and can secure substantial benefits. Ukrainian businesses pay, on average, roughly UAH 5.50/kWh ($0.15) of electricity. During outages, this figure jumped nearly twofold, making the rationale behind investing in alternative power generation sources as clear as ever.