This year Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (March 28-29, 2023), one of the biggest international dialogue forums on climate change, was held under the banner “Energiewende – Securing a Green Future”
Russian armed aggression has not only made Ukraine to accelerate energy transition but has proven that renewable energy is a matter of national security.
The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko during a panel discussion at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2023: “During Russian missile attacks, we saw that renewable energy sources are not just about “green transformation” or commitments under the Paris Agreement. Renewable energy sources are about national security, security of supply, security of the state.”
“We see the future energy mix of Ukraine as follows: 50% is nuclear generation, which currently produces more than half of all electricity in Ukraine, and the remaining 50% will be generated by renewable energy sources,” said Minister of Energy of Ukraine.
Within the framework of the 9th Berlin Energy Dialogue, two documents on energy cooperation between Ukraine and Germany were signed with the participation of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko.
In particular, the Joint Declaration on Framework Cooperation between the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Eastern Committee of German Business was signed, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the “green” energy associations of Ukraine and Germany – Global 100% Re Ukraine and the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE – Bundesverband Erneuebare Energie eV), including UWEA, ASEU UABIO, BWE, BSW and EvBiogas.
Commenting on the Memorandum of Partnership between the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Eastern Committee of German Business, Ukraine’s Deputy Energy Minister Yaroslav Demchenkov said that “the Ukrainian side is currently talking about a new energy strategy, about the possibility for German business to participate in various projects.” According to him, German companies are interested in wind energy, in particular offshore, solar, hydrogen, bioenergy, and energy efficiency. They are also interested in the creation of IT solutions: small distribution networks and smart grids, i.e. transmission and distribution systems.
Chairman of the UWEA Board Andriy Konechenkov emphasised the important role the associations play in the energy transition, because they unite companies that develop these technologies: “At the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was held in Glasgow in 2021, Ukraine presented the Updated Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement and undertook to stop the production of electricity by burning coal by 2035 year, simultaneously investing in RES; last year in Lugano there were statements from Kyiv about switching to “green” hydrogen, etc. But we have to support these statements in a practical way and attract exchange and cooperation between our and German companies.”
