On October 14, the 13th Energy Day of the European-Ukrainian Energy Agency (EUEA) was held in Vienna with the participation of leading experts from the EIB, the EBRD, the Secretariat of the Energy Community, the German agency GIZ, other experts and representatives of leading renewable energy companies.
- Vienna, October 14, 2022 – EUEA held the 13th European-Ukrainian Energy Day. This year’s theme of the conference is “New realities in energy: post-war reconstruction and prospects of the energy sector of Ukraine.” The event was devoted to pressing and future issues in the energy sector, focusing on renewable energy and sustainable development. The event was held in Vienna with the participation of more than 100 guests, including representatives of key agencies involved in energy sector reforms, representatives of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, GiZ, UNIDO, and RES producers.
- The following speakers took part: Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Yaroslav Demchenkov, member of the NCRECP Oleksiy Magda, Deputy Director of the Department for Energy Affairs of the European Commission Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Director of the Secretariat of the Energy Community Artur Lorkovsky, Head of the Permanent Representation of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Jean-Eric de Zagon, Deputy Chairman of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Mark Magaletskyi, Head of UNIDO’s Industrial Development Department Marko Matteini, Chairman of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, and representatives of leading RES investor companies such as DTEK Renewables, Emergy, Guris, and Scatec. The event was organized jointly with the Trade Department of the Austrian Embassy in Ukraine at the Austrian Chamber of Economy.
- Opening the first-panel discussion, Yaroslav Demchenkov noted in his speech that “the latest missile attacks of the previous week were not an isolated blow to the energy system of Ukraine. It was an attack on the energy security of the European continent. Everything that is happening today in the energy sector of Ukraine and the EU is a stress test of the ability of a united Europe to protect its values and prevent energy poverty.” He also emphasized that at the tactical level, the task of the ministry is to diversify the supply of energy carriers and accelerate the energy transition. At the same time, the goal at the strategic level is to strengthen European energy security, decarbonization, and de-weaponization of energy resources.
- In his speech, Jean-Eric de Zagon noted that Ukraine must ensure a green transition within the framework of the National Recovery Plan of Ukraine to integrate into the European economy successfully. He also emphasized that the EIB will not consider new investments in fossil-related projects. The EIB aims to support projects on the development of green energy, the strengthening of Ukrainian power transmission capacities to the EU, and the reconstruction of energy infrastructure.
- Mark Magaletskyi, deputy head of the EBRD in Ukraine, announced the following priorities in the work of the EBRD: 1) maintaining the liquidity of existing clients; 2) investments in the restoration of energy infrastructure and support of critical infrastructure facilities; 3) with a favorable security situation, investments in RES. In addition, energy storage development projects are also a priority for the EBRD. At the end of the speech, the speaker emphasized that the EBRD supported and planned to continue to support Ukraine.
- Speaking in the second-panel discussion, the deputy chairman of the board of Ukrgasbank, Rodion Morozov, emphasized that it is impossible to postpone reconstruction until complete victory. The bank is already working on the preparation of support programs for those enterprises in need. In the medium term, Ukrgasbank plans to play a significant role in financing RES and ESG projects.
- Iryna Grechana, financial director of Scatec Ukraine, also spoke in the third discussion. Iryna said that the company continues to generate 95% of its capacity, despite all the challenges currently on the market. Moreover, Scatec continues cooperating with communities and implementing social and humanitarian projects. The Norwegian company “Scatec” looks positively at the prospects of new projects in Ukraine, provided that favorable conditions for investments are created, and investors are involved in discussions with relevant ministries and regulatory bodies.