THE FIRST ENERGY STORAGE DAY: A MARKET NONEXISTENT THREE YEARS AGO IS NOW MEASURED IN MEGAWATTS
On 27 April 2026, Kyiv hosted Energy Storage Day 2026 — Ukraine’s first industry conference dedicated to the energy storage systems market. The event, held under the slogan “The New Architecture of the Ukrainian Power System”, was organised by UWEA with the support of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, NPC Ukrenergo and JSC Market Operator.
The figures announced at the conference opening are worth reflecting on. In 2023, Ukraine had zero megawatts of grid-connected energy storage installations. In 2024, there were only 2 MW. Today, we already have 600 MW. This is not gradual development. It is a rapid ascent that must not stop. Consequently, government representatives, business leaders, and international partners gathered in one hall to discuss next steps, modern challenges, and future prospects.
Grand Opening
Opening Energy Storage Day 2026, Andriy Konechenkov, Chairman of the UWEA Board, emphasized:
“We have gathered at a moment when the phrase ‘energy storage’ stopped being a technical term in highly specialized reports. It has become a strategic concept at the level of governments, parliaments, and financial institutions. One of the most important structural shifts happening right now is the transition from a centralized to a decentralized power system model. Since Soviet times, the energy sector was built on the principle of large stations, long lines, and a passive consumer. This principle has exhausted itself. For Ukraine, a country that has survived massive destruction of its centralized generation and transmission, decentralization is not just a situational choice. It is a matter of energy resilience and security.”
In his welcoming address, Artem Nekrasov, First Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine, outlined three practical dimensions where energy storage is critical: balancing the system after a deficit, integrating more renewables, and ensuring a rapid response to crises. “Dear colleagues, we did not choose this situation,” he noted, explaining that the conditions of war accelerated a transformation that would have otherwise taken decades. Today, Ukraine is part of the European power system and remains the most dynamic market in Europe. The state understands the needs of businesses. They require clear rules of the game, project bankability, and risk reduction. “We are looking for partners who understand they are entering a new market and are ready to build the new energy sector of Europe. We are open to dialogue, ready to consider your proposals, and eager to help implement them,” he highlighted. Nekrasov specifically addressed community representatives, noting that for them, ESS means autonomy and the resilience of social infrastructure. It is a real opportunity to survive a crisis without blackouts.
In turn, Vitaliy Zaichenko highlighted the scale of changes happening globally in the power system, noting that ESS is an integral part of this process. “Unfortunately, war happened, and the country moved to a rapid transition since our power system was quite concentrated,” Zaichenko emphasized. The Ukrenergo auctions for 1.4 GW launched the market. “This is a technology that will evolve and ultimately become economically viable,” summarized the Chairman of the Board of NEC Ukrenergo, hinting that a 300 times growth over two years is likely just the beginning.
Andriy Gerus, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing and Utilities Services, stressed that the Ukrainian energy storage industry is a phenomenon literally being born right now. Even at the beginning of 2025, the installed capacity of energy storage systems in the country was 7,000 to 8,000 MWh, and even then, the market was moving not thanks to legislative incentives but despite their absence. Gerus named the rapid drop in technology prices as the main driver. This specific cost reduction made the business model viable, and a full-fledged project economy began to form around it. Under these conditions, the parliament’s task is not to catch up with the market but to create a clear and predictable environment for years to come. In this context, he mentioned the market coupling law, which introduces new rules for electricity transmission, and expressed hope that increased market competition will eventually result in the development of a fully functional balancing system.
Oleksandr Gavva, Acting General Director of JSC Market Operator, drew attention to a distinct feature of the ESS market rarely voiced in public discussions: “Speaking about the energy sector, it is generally expensive. However, ESS stands out with a low barrier to entry starting from relatively small amounts, and we consider this a major positive.” This very feature, in his opinion, explains why an increasing number of players from other economic sectors are entering the industry, bringing along new competencies and fresh capital.
Five sessions, one big picture
The conference program was designed as a progressive deep dive, moving from general principles to specific details, and from today’s realities to tomorrow’s horizons.
The first session set the systemic framework, exploring how ESS, wind generation, and balancing truly coexist in a rapidly changing market. Representatives from NEC Ukrenergo, JSC Market Operator, KNESS Energy, and Elementum Energy deconstructed this issue together. It is a question that concerns the entire market and still lacks a single definitive answer.
The second session logically continued this conversation on a practical level. It examined the path that completed projects have taken from the initial deal to a working asset. Companies with practical market experience, including KNESS Group, DTEK Renewables, Eco-Optima, Acumen, and Huawei, shared their insights on the difficulties faced and what newcomers should consider before entering the industry.
The third and fourth sessions represented two sides of the same coin: how to keep growing and at what cost. On one side are the challenges of scaling up. The market already has 600 MW and is heading toward 1,000 MW by the end of the year. However, transitioning to gigawatt volumes requires systemic solutions, which participants from VOLTAGE, IKNET, Ukraine Facility Platform, and Elementum Energy discussed candidly. On the other side is financing, without which scaling is impossible. Here, the picture is much more optimistic. Bank financing for ESS is no longer exotic. Both state and private banks are now ready to invest in hybrid renewable and ESS projects as well as standalone storage units. Representatives from Ukreximbank, EBRD, Horizon Capital, Negen, and CMS Ukraine spoke about this readiness.
The fifth session wrapped up the day with a focus on green hydrogen as a long-term storage solution and its place in the new power system architecture. A topic recently seen as a distant horizon is now being discussed with concrete substance. Experts examined hydrogen’s role in system balancing, its integration into the European energy market, and what it takes for Ukraine to become part of this value chain, acting as a full-fledged player rather than a mere observer.
Memorandum Between UWEA and Dnipro University of Technology
A separate and symbolically important event of the day was the ceremonial signing of a memorandum of partnership and cooperation between the Public Union “Ukrainian Wind Energy Association” and the National Technical University “Dnipro University of Technology.”
The document lays the foundation for systemic collaboration between the cross-sectoral association and one of the country’s leading technical universities, primarily focusing on training specialists for the renewable energy and ESS markets.
The context of this signing speaks for itself. A market that has grown 300 times in two years cannot afford a shortage of competent personnel. Business is scaling faster than universities can prepare engineers, lawyers, and financiers who understand the industry’s specifics. If Ukraine truly aims to become a center for clean energy production and storage for Europe, its regulatory framework and technological education system must develop in parallel.
Energy Storage Day 2026 took place thanks to the support of companies and organizations that share a common belief: developing the storage market is not just a business opportunity but a matter of national energy sovereignty.
UWEA expresses its sincere gratitude to the strategic partner KNESS, financial partner Ukreximbank, organizational partners Altelaw&Sempra and H2-diplo, and all event partners: UDP Renewables, VOLTAGE, LCF, Huawei, Elementum Energy, ATLAS Energy, CMS Ukraine, and IKNET. Special thanks go to the media partners Interfax-Ukraine, Energoreforma, ExPro, mind.ua, and the League of Energy Development of Ukraine, who helped convey the importance of this event to a broad audience.
Energy Storage Day 2026 marked the moment the storage market in Ukraine finally reached maturity. The industry has evolved from wondering whether this is even possible in Ukraine to asking completely different questions about scale, financing, workforce, and long-term integration into the European market. This is a fundamentally different level of conversation. The fact that these discussions are already happening openly, involving ministries, the system operator, international banks, and universities, is the best indicator that the industry is moving in the right direction.
Scaling up, new projects, and new challenges lie ahead. UWEA will continue to serve as the platform where the industry meets, negotiates, and moves forward.
