Artem Semenishin: New generating capacities will become a technological contribution to the construction of a new Ukrainian energy system
Despite the fact that last year, due to the war in Ukraine, most potential Ukrainian projects in the field of clean energy, which were also supported by European countries, were postponed, experts believe in the prospects of this industry.
As part of Ukraine's recovery, we should focus specifically on green recovery, according to Artem Semenishin, Executive Director of the Association of Solar Energy of Ukraine. Speaking at an international online conference on hydrogen issues, he noted that after Victory Day, the number of implemented projects in this area will be significantly higher.
Green recovery for Ukraine is a symbiosis of real concrete projects that will be built in various fields, leading to a fundamental change in the economy and energy of our country. Ukraine will transition to clean energy sources, becoming more independent through new modern technologies.
According to the head of the Association of Solar Energy of Ukraine, solar energy will play a key role in this context. According to expert plans, as part of the recovery in Ukraine, at least 30 GW of solar power plants will be built by 2030. And this is not including the capacity of hydrogen projects. The use of solar energy is a unique technology. The potential for solar energy in Ukraine is significant, as we have higher insolation rates than European countries. Furthermore, we have a vast territory, making us a potential hub for the development and construction of new solar-based generating capacities. Consequently, Ukraine could become a powerful source of electricity production and export to EU countries.
Artem Semenishin emphasized that solar power stations can be built anywhere in Ukraine. Moreover, this technology allows for the construction of new generating capacities with minimal costs and in the shortest possible time frame, thereby becoming a new technological contribution to the development of a new energy system in Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukraine should also utilize opportunities for producing green hydrogen using solar and wind energy to make the production economically optimal. Ukraine can also become a place for implementing hydrogen storage technologies in closed mines for its further use in necessary volumes. The proximity of Ukraine to the European Union precisely determines our role in this process. It is no coincidence that the EU's Hydrogen Strategy specifically highlights Ukraine as a promising country for the development of Europe's hydrogen policy.
On the other hand, the process of integration into the European Union will depend precisely on the energy dimension for Ukraine. The merger of the Ukrainian energy grid with the European one in March 2022, when Ukraine became a member of the "energy EU," was one of the important steps in this direction. Ahead is the process of synchronizing markets, which will allow the harmonization of legislation and the creation of conditions for the implementation of joint projects. This is also a very important aspect, including the regulation of the issue of guarantees of origin for all renewable energy sources: electric, renewable gases, etc. Exchange of these guarantees of origin should become one of the tools for effective work of the European market.
Artem Semenishin said - that green recovery in Ukraine should happen through the implementation of specific projects. This approach also applies to green hydrogen projects, which will connect us as a producing country and as a transporter of hydrogen to countries that need it. Demand for hydrogen in Europe is expected to increase, including due to the growth in the number of vehicles that operate using hydrogen. The replacement of gas with hydrogen in production processes, in the chemical and other industrial sectors, also promises good prospects. Since Ukraine is also a country dependent on gas imports, the transition to new types of energy resources is crucial. Therefore, hydrogen should become a source of replacing fossil fuels in the format of energy conservation in the near future.
"We must not waste time to take a worthy place in these processes," emphasized Artem Semenishin, "as we have the desire to build large clusters for the production of green hydrogen and to establish its supply and use for our own needs in Ukraine and for our European neighbors. The support of specific projects by the Ukrainian government is the key to success."