On 9 April 2025, as part of Europe’s main wind energy event — WindEurope 2025 — the strategic session “Denmark, the Netherlands & Ukraine: A United Front for Wind Energy” took place, bringing together key representatives of the industry and investment communities from Denmark, the Netherlands and Ukraine. The event, organised with the support of WindEurope, was a continuation and the logical development of the dialogue between the national associations, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s energy resilience, scaling up the use of wind energy and attracting foreign capital to the restoration of energy infrastructure.
Particular symbolism was given to the session by the fact that it took place the day after the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between UWEA and GreenPower Denmark — another strategic step in formalising the partnership between the Ukrainian and Danish wind energy associations. Prior to this, in November 2024, a similar Memorandum was signed with NedZero.
The session was moderated by Maryna Ilchuk, advisor at the international law firm CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang — a UWEA member company.
The session participants discussed:
- practical mechanisms for attracting financing into wind energy projects in Ukraine, in particular using the example of the project to build the Tyligulska wind farm;
- the need to improve the regulatory environment;
- the establishment of sustainable business partnerships;
- the conditions for foreign technology companies to enter the Ukrainian market;
- the role of the systemic integration of renewables, in particular the development of energy storage facilities.
The speakers at the session were: Bert van der Lingen, Vice-Chairman of NedZero (the Netherlands); Camilla Holbech, Vice-President for Renewable Energy, PtX and International Cooperation at GreenPower Denmark (Denmark); Peder Anker Larsen, Associate Director of the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO); Kristen Ernbjerg, Vice-President and Head of Global Public Affairs at Vestas (Denmark); Wim Robbertsen, Managing Director of Business in Wind (the Netherlands).
During the dynamic discussion, the speakers shared stories of successful cases in their own markets and their experience of entering new jurisdictions, as well as analysing in detail the key risks and the potential of the Ukrainian wind energy market. The need for the following was emphasised:
- clear market signals from the state;
- ensuring the predictability of policies;
- investor protection;
- the development of risk-sharing mechanisms;
- the creation of preconditions for the large-scale use of both new and second-hand wind turbines.
Separately, the participants emphasised the factor of solidarity — the moral as well as practical duty of European countries to support Ukraine not only for the sake of its recovery, but also for the sake of the common security, stability and sustainable energy future of the region. Cooperation with Ukrainian partners is now regarded not as a risk, but as an investment in a common tomorrow.
In her closing remarks, the moderator emphasised: “The energy transition is not only about producing ‘green’ electricity, but also about its efficient consumption. Ukraine is already demonstrating high demand today, and therefore decentralised electricity production is not a luxury, but a critical necessity. We must act without waiting for ideal conditions”.
UWEA sincerely thanks all the international partners, speakers and participants for their support, professionalism and readiness for real cooperation. Ahead lie joint projects, technical solutions and financial models that will help not only to restore, but also to significantly transform Ukraine’s energy system in the direction of decentralisation, resilience and integration into the European market.
