It is difficult to accept that it has been one year since Russia started its war against Ukraine. This conflict has caused immense human suffering and destruction and has had a devastating impact on the region. Today more than ever, it is important to continue discussing the issues and challenges that Ukraine is facing, especially with regard to its energy sector. A few days ago, I had the honour of speaking with Galyna Shmidt, Board Member of the Ukrainian Wind Association and also Vice President of the World Wind Energy Association, about the impact of the ongoing war waged by Russia on Ukraine’s energy sector and the potential role of renewables in the country’s recovery.
I invite you to listen to our conversation on your preferred podcast platform:
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During the interview, we discussed the urgent need for repairing and rebuilding Ukraine’s power infrastructure, which has been targeted by Russian attacks. Ms Shmidt emphasised the importance of investment in renewable energy, which she sees as the key to the country’s post-war recovery. We spoke about the challenges that Ukraine faces in implementing EU legal frameworks and policies. She highlighted the need for stable renewable energy policies and firm targets to attract investment and accelerate the country’s adoption of renewable energy sources.
The Ukrainian Wind Association is advocating for a number of laws to be adopted by the Ukrainian parliament, including draft laws on contract for differences, feeding premiums, and guarantees of origin. Ms Shmidt also emphasised the need for the introduction of green auctions in the country as a means of accelerating renewable energy deployment and creating market certainty. She also highlighted the need for the decentralisation of Ukraine’s power system, so it becomes less vulnerable to missile attacks. We also spoke about the perception of energy transition in Ukraine, which has become one of the urgent and critical issues, with decarbonising the entire Ukrainian economy as one of the main priorities in the post-war recovery.
In terms of what the European energy industry can do to support Ukraine, Ms Shmidt stressed the need for technological and industrial partnerships, as well as investments in renewables. She believes that dedicated renewables for Ukraine, as part of the joint EU-Ukraine Reconstruction Platform, could and should be set up to accelerate wind and other renewable deployments in the country.
We ended the interview by expressing gratitude to the European Union for setting up a special Ukraine Energy Support Fund. Ms Shmidt stressed the need for more sanctions and weapons in the face of the ongoing aggression from Russia. She emphasised that there is no other option but to rebuild Ukraine and strengthen its position as a future member of the European Union.
This interview aims to inspire even more support and continued efforts to help Ukraine. It’s important that we all stand together in solidarity with Ukraine, and by leveraging the resources and expertise of the energy sector, we can make a real difference in the country’s recovery and future success.
The Baltic Perspective
With the publication of this interview, we are starting a new podcast series. The Baltic Perspective will be a podcast in which I intend to talk to experts, leaders in the industry and look at energy market developments from a broader perspective than just the Baltic Sea area.
The development of Offshore Wind Energy in the Baltic is strongly linked to many aspects of the development of the European and global energy market. In the following talks, I want to listen to the voices of various experts, explore different viewpoints on the future of the industry and bring the listeners closer to the possible lessons we can learn from regions where offshore is already more advanced. Of course everything will be analysed from the point of view of our specific Baltic perspective.
I invite you to subscribe and tune in to listen to future episodes.
