Ukraine needs 4.3 GW of new RES capacities – analytical report

To meet its urgent energy needs, Ukraine urgently needs 4.3 GW of new renewable energy sources by 2026 and 1.1 GW of new gas plants.

This is stated in a report by the Instrat think tank.

According to the authors of the document, photovoltaic power plants can play a key role in updating the energy system.

The experts considered two possible development scenarios until 2030: a protracted war at the current positions and Ukraine regaining control over all its territories, including Crimea. According to the calculations, in both cases, the country will need an unprecedented increase in energy capacity by 10.5-14.6 GW.

The least investment will be required to repair damaged plants – €9.3-12.5 billion over five years. However, restoring coal-fired power plants will leave the system vulnerable to attacks.

The authors of the report note that the transition to distributed gas and renewable generation is a more sustainable option, albeit more expensive. If Ukraine replaces damaged coal-fired generation with renewables and gas plants, the investment requirement will increase to €13.6-18.8 billion.