Industry groups call for Ukrainian reconstruction based on renewables

European and Ukrainian renewable energy associations have called for placing renewables at the heart of Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

WindEurope, SolarPower Europe, the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA) and the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine (ASEU) hosted a hybrid event today, coinciding with the International Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano. The round-table event was attended by EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.

The groups issued a joint statement, asking EU and Ukraine leaders to support renewable energy and hydrogen in the country’s reconstruction. They are pushing for a target of at least 50% of renewables in electricity production by 2030, to come from rooftop and ground-mounted solar, together with onshore and offshore wind.

For this to be achieved, the associations want a dedicated “Renewables for Ukraine” vehicle to be set up as part of the joint Strategic Reconstruction Plan and the Ukraine reconstruction platform.

According to Andriy Konechenkov, chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association, Ukraine will never be safe until it has energy independence and that energy security can never come from fossil fuels. He sees the target of a 50% renewables share by 2030 as feasible.

“Had we all invested earlier and more decisively in renewable energy, we would not find ourselves dependent on unreliable fossil fuel importers today,” said Malgosia Bartosik, WindEurope deputy chief executive.

Greenpeace activists also called for recovery efforts to be based on sustainable energy systems, not nuclear or fossil fuels as they raised a replica wind turbine in Lugano.

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