From 22 to 29 November 2024, representatives of the UWEA Board and Secretariat, as well as NPC Ukrenergo, made a working visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The main purpose of the visit was to strengthen the partnership ties between Ukrainian and Dutch wind energy business, to exchange views on the recovery of Ukraine’s energy sector and to develop ideas for the implementation of joint projects. In particular, the possibilities for the development of onshore and offshore wind energy, the introduction of new wind turbines with a capacity of up to 1 MW and refurbished wind turbines to provide for the self-consumption of small and medium-sized businesses were discussed.
This initiative became possible thanks to the organisation of the visit by the Dutch wind energy association NedZero, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine and the financing of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) of the Ministry of Economy and Climate Policy of the Netherlands. The event was a continuation of the project to develop legislative changes to stimulate the development of wind energy in Ukraine.
In addition to B2B meetings, the week-long visit also included the delegation’s participation in industry events, among which, in particular, the international conference “Decentralised energy solutions for Ukraine’s security”, which took place on 25 November 2024 in The Hague, and a two-day offshore wind energy exhibition and conference, which was successfully held in Amsterdam. Moreover, within the framework of the second event, UWEA representatives received the opportunity to present the current state of the onshore wind energy sector and the technical potential of Ukraine’s offshore wind energy, speaking at a separate thematic session “Onshore and offshore wind energy solutions for Ukraine’s economic resilience”, which took place on 26 November 2024. The speakers of the session were UWEA Board members Halyna Shmidt and Ivan Bondarchuk, partner of the law firm LCF, as well as the head of the UWEA analytical department and business development director of LLC “MCL” Kateryna Knysh. Thanks to the activity and interest of the audience, the session covered not just the current conditions and prospects for the development of Ukraine’s wind energy market, but also the legislative and regulatory framework for the development of wind projects in Ukraine, the key trends in building a decentralised energy system in a country at war, and the investment advantages of the Ukrainian market.
The first step towards strengthening cooperation between Dutch and Ukrainian wind energy businesses was the official signing of the Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation between NedZero and UWEA at the end of the aforementioned session. The signatories of the Memorandum were the heads of the national associations – Andriy Konechenkov (on the part of Ukraine) and Jan Vos (on the part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
Jan Vos: “We need to defend Europe and we need to defend Ukraine together. And part of the defence is not only military might, but also energy might, because if there is no energy, then there is no army either. Energy is the fundamental basis of any war. Therefore, it is very important that we support Ukraine much more than we are doing now”.
Andriy Konechenkov: “I want to express my gratitude to NedZero and the entire Dutch people for their dedication and partnership. This cooperation symbolises a powerful synergy between Ukraine and the Netherlands, two countries united by the goal of using clean, renewable energy for a resilient, green and safe future”.
An important part of the visit was the Ukrainian delegation’s visit to the production facilities of such Dutch companies as Business in Wind, one of UWEA’s new members, which specialises in the repair of second-hand turbines and the commissioning of refurbished wind turbines, and EWT – a national manufacturer of wind turbines with a capacity of up to 1 MW inclusive. Both companies demonstrated clear intentions to conduct business on Ukraine’s wind energy market. The delegation from Ukraine was also invited to the Port of Eemshaven – a key industrial and energy hub of the Netherlands, in which large energy facilities are located – gas, coal, solar, bioenergy and wind power plants – as well as bases for the installation and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the North Sea. While in the port, the Ukrainian group also visited the production of submarine electrical cables of the company TKF. Separately, for the representative of NPC Ukrenergo, namely Roman Hrabchak, head of the Balance Reliability Department, a meeting was organised with the Dutch TSO TenneT.
Finally, the UWEA representatives invited the leadership of NedZero to a meeting with the company DRI, which develops wind energy projects in European countries.
UWEA extends its gratitude to all the partners who contributed to the organisation and conduct of this important visit, in particular NedZero, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), as well as all the companies that opened the doors of their offices and production facilities to the Ukrainian delegation.
