On December 11, 2023, within the framework of the Ukraine-Denmark Energy Partnership Program (UDEPP), a presentation of the Mid-Term Report on the Preliminary Feasibility Study of the Offshore Wind Energy Potential of Ukraine, prepared by experts from the Danish University of Technology (DTU), and the Concept for the Ukraine’s Wind Power Development, developed by the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association, was held.
Yaroslav Demchenkov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine, welcomed the audience and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to transforming Ukraine into a European energy hub and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. He also stressed the leading role of wind energy in achieving these goals.
Speakers at the event “Legal and Technical Challenges for Unleashing Ukraine’s Wind Energy Potential”, organized by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Danish Energy Agency with the support of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association and the Ukrainian Bar Association included Jake Badger, Wind expert at the Danish University of Technology, Andriy Konechenkov, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA), Ivan Bondarchuk, Member of the UWEA Board, Chairman of the UBA Committee on Energy, Oil and Gas, Counsel, Head of Energy and Natural Resources Practice at LCF Law Group.
Andriy Konechenkov: “The concept for the rollout of wind energy in Ukraine until 2030 developed by the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association identifies priority areas of our activity, i.e. what should be done first, and what support is needed to accelerate the green transformation of the country’s energy sector. As in the European Union, wind energy projects should be considered as projects of high public interest. Ukraine needs qualified wind energy engineering and technical personnel. State programs of professional and technical education of the workforce for the wind energy sector is needed. A critical issue for the global wind industry is the supply chain. Establishing local production of wind turbine components is one of the urgencies for the Ukrainian economy. With our production and intellectual potential, as well as an experienced workforce, Ukraine is well-positioned to become part of the European wind energy supply chain. We need to optimize the use of energy and road infrastructures. And last but not least. We need to simplify permitting procedures, including land allocation, construction standards, etc.”
In his presentation, Jake Badger provided an assessment of the offshore wind resources and offshore wind energy potential in the Black and Azov Seas. Considering the existing wind resource, water depth, wind power density, and such factors as environmentally sensitive areas, shipping and fishing activities etc, DTU experts assess the maximum installation capacity in the Ukraine’s territorial waters of the Black and Azov Seas for bottom-fixed wind turbines at 30 GW and 20 GW for floating wind turbines.
Ivan Bondarchuk: “During our negotiations with potential foreign investors they mention several problems: the first, of course, is security and the second one – the NBU’s restrictions on the withdrawal of dividends. They also claim the difficulty of development, grid connecting, transparency, and predictability of the electricity market. The first two problems directly depend on winning the war. And we are working together with our colleagues from the UWEA to solve the third one preparing a roadmap for reforming the wind energy legislation.”
The event was concluded by Mr. Vilhelm Rothe, Legal Advisor of the Danish Energy Agency, who emphasized the need to continue working on bringing Ukrainian renewable energy legislation in line with EU legislation. This is what the Danish Energy Agency will continue to work on in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the UWEA, and other active participants in the green energy market.
The Ukrainian Wind Energy Association expresses its gratitude to the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Danish Energy Agency for supporting offshore wind development in Ukraine.
