Author: Kazbulat Shogenov

In July 2022 at the conference in Lugano, Ukraine presented a powerful and comprehensive plan for recovery of the country. The implementation of this strategy is designed for 10 years and gained favorable assessments and support from international partners.

Ukraine’s Recovery is aimed to accelerate sustainable economic growth and to make a huge step from transitional to developing economy by 2032. The plan identifies a list of National programs https://recovery.gov.ua/en to achieve key results.

The recovery of Ukraine and the related mobilization of infrastructure funds is a unique chance for Europe as a whole as a continent actively develop energy efficiency measures, gradually abandon fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources (sun, wind, small hygropower, geothermal energy, biomass).

According to the Institute of Renewable Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the total capacity potential of renewable energy sources in Ukraine reaches 874 GW, including about 250 GW of the capacity of offshore wind farms.

In terms of “fuel of the future”, by 2032 Ukraine can produce ~1.6-1.7 Mt of hydrogen, which will require up to 15 GW of electrolyzer capacity. The development of “green” hydrogen-based metallurgy and potentially the production of “green” hydrogen-based ammonia and fertilizers are promising options.

Detailed report on the recovery of Ukraine in the energy sector can be found at the link https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/621f88db25fbf24758792dd8/62dacafb804d22348c8d8c08__Energy%20Security.pdf

Ukraine’s Recovery Plan and other materials by thematic sections can be found at https://www.urc2022.com/urc2022-recovery-plan

Interesting Report:
HOW TO REBUILD A “GREEN” COUNTRY: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UKRAINE’S RECOVERY https://dixigroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/eng-analitychna-zapyska-po-vidnovlennyu-15112022.pdf

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) was held at Sharm EL Sheikh International Convention Center in Egypt from 6 to 18 November 2022. COP27 is designed to contribute to the global fight against climate change and the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement.

More than 190 countries took part in COP27, including Ukraine. The conference program is packed with events and covers a wide range of issues, such as policies and actions for sustainable development, approaches to reducing CO₂ emissions, climate change mitigation, community support, funding mechanisms, R&D, innovations and technologies.

Ukraine, which had previously participated in the event for many years, was represented by its own pavilion for the first time. The main task was to demonstrate the devastating effects of the war to the whole world and to gain support for the revival of the country, as well as tell the world about Ukraine’s commitment to climate goals and aspirations for development. Decarbonization, energy efficiency, digitization of administrative services, and resource and waste management became important topics from the point of view of work prospects in Ukraine.

During the UNDP UKRAINE PANEL DISCUSSION, GREEN AND RESILIENT RECOVERY FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT climate goals of Ukraine in the field of energy were presented  https://ucn.org.ua/?p=8915. Ukraine undertook to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65%. It is now recorded that CO2 emissions in Ukraine have increased by 23% compared to 2021. Ukraine has declared a transition to climate neutrality by 2060. It is planned to receive 25% of electricity from RES by 2030 – “green recovery”. In general, during the hostilities, the country lost about 90% of the wind power located in the occupied territory, and about 30% of the solar power. There were calls for energy transition for Ukraine: to ensure appropriate legislative regulation and a favorable investment climate for the creation of new truly peaceful energy capacities – based on renewable energy.

For more information, please read: Ukraine-COP27.doc

Gas injection to Ukrainian UGSs reached a record this year – almost 40 mcm

On July 26, the injection of natural gas into Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities reached the highest level since the beginning of the year – 39.6 mcm per day. 

Compared to the previous day, the volume of injection increased by 6% (2 mcm). At the same time, natural gas withdrawal is practically absent.

Since the beginning of the current injection season, about 3 bcm of natural gas has been injected into storage facilities.

As of August 8, 12.2 bcm of natural gas are stored in underground gas storage facilities not including the Vergunske UGS).

By the beginning of the next heating season (October, 15), the storage capacity must be ensured by at least 19 bcm.

Link https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/3546261-zapasi-gazu-u-shovisah-stanovlat-122-milarda-kubiv-smigal.html 

Ukraine and three other countries want to create a “hydrogen corridor” to the EU based on the GTS

Four leading Central European gas infrastructure companies have joined forces to develop a hydrogen highway through Central Europe.

The focus of the joint initiative called the Central European Hydrogen Corridor is on developing a hydrogen “highway” in Central Europe for the transport of hydrogen from promising future major hydrogen supply areas in Ukraine that offers excellent conditions for large-scale, green hydrogen production via Slovakia and the Czech Republic to large hydrogen demand areas in Germany and the EU. The hydrogen corridor will also enable transporting hydrogen between hydrogen production facilities and hydrogen consumers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Participating companies include EUSTREAM (the Slovak gas TSO), Gas TSO of Ukraine (GTSOU), NET4GAS (the Czech gas TSO) and OGE (a leading German gas TSO).

At the same time, the hydrogen corridor will make it possible to transport hydrogen from production enterprises to hydrogen consumers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Germany is expected to be a key hydrogen demand region in Europe, importing significant volumes to meet demand.

Link: https://www.cehc.eu/en/home/

Ukrainian company ‘Regional Gas Company’  joined Ready4H2, a hydrogen project of European gas distribution system operators (DSOs)

RGC became the first Ukrainian company among 67 members of the Ready4H2 consortium. Ready4H2 consortium brings together major European DSOs who work on getting the gas distribution networks ready to use hydrogen as a part of an overarching objective of achieving their climate neutrality.

The main task of the Ready4H2 consortium is to present the draft hydrogen strategy for Europe’s gas distribution industry. The document will take into account the proposals based on technical expertise, research and experience of handling the hydrogen by DSOs that joined the Ready4H2.

RGC hydrogen project stages:

– Field tests with static tests on test sites

– Dynamic experiments to study the effect of gas-hydrogen mixtures on gas equipment

– data analysis in the laboratories of scientific partners of the RGC hydrogen project

The project has been under implementation since 2020 when five special RGC test sites were established to carry out hydrogen tests of the gas networks and equipment (Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv regions). The research partners of the RGC hydrogen project include eight research institutions, including the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, organized into a consortium and take part in research and tests within the frameworks of the RGC hydrogen project according to their specialization.

Aside from RGC, Ready4H2 involves DSOs from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain and Sweden.

Link: https://rgc.ua/ua/cleanenergy