Ruined factories, energy heroes and dark hospitals: Ukraine’s fight for light as winter approaches

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Ukraine is preparing to experience its third winter since the Russian invasion. With temperatures falling, generating electricity from fossil fuels is essential to keeping homes lit, but the country hopes to transition to green energy in the future.

By 2030, Ukraine wants 27% of its final energy consumption to come from renewable energies. These not only reduce emissions, but also increase energy security, because distributed generation is harder to destroy and the technology can be repaired more quickly.

“A missile can destroy a 250 megawatt thermal power plant. It would take approximately the equivalent of 40 missiles to cause the same damage to a wind farmand this is simply because they are dispersed over a larger area,” says Jeffrey Oatham, head of sustainability at DTEK, a Ukrainian energy company.

“This is where we see that renewable energy is not only beneficial for climate change and decarbonization, but that it offers more resilient and secure energy systems,” he adds, specifying that the company is trying to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy due to the war.

The impact of the war on Ukraine’s energy system was showcased at a recent photography exhibition titled “Fight for Light.” It was held near the European Parliament in Brussels and was organized by DTEK and the Mission of Ukraine to the EU.

The images showed thermal power plants destroyed by Russian forces, the workers repairing them and the impact on the lives of Ukrainians, including darkened streets and surgeries without adequate lighting.

“In Ukraine we are living in dark times, literally,” Serhiy Morgunov, one of the photographers, said at the event. “On top of everything else, we experience what it means to be deprived of a fundamental benefit of 21st century civilization: light.

“Imagine your life without lights, without the ability to charge your devices, to store your food, to access the educational process, to do your taxes, to feel safe on a dark street.”

Ukraine wants a greener future with the EU

Renewable energy also has the benefit of providing local energy, reducing dependence on foreign imports and helping Ukraine strengthen its ties with the European Union. As part of its EU membership goal, Ukraine must align with the Union’s climate ambitions.

“Renewable energy is the future of Europe and Ukraine wants to join the European Union” says Pascale Lamy, DTEK advisory board member and former director general of the World Trade Organization.

“Whatever kind of relationship they have in the future with Russia, assuming this war ends at some point, they will have to be independent of Russian pressure and we know that one of the main levers of Russian power and pressure is the fossil fuel,” he adds.

Although it will take several years to deploy these renewable energies, the direction is clear, according to Mr. Lamy.

Ukraine could even become a green energy hub for Europe due to its significant potential for renewable energy production.

According to researchers at ETH Zurich, the country could produce 180 gigawatts of wind power and 39 gigawatts of solar power. For comparison, Germany has set targets of 130 to 140 GW of wind power and 200 GW of solar power.

What are the challenges related to the deployment of renewable energies in Ukraine?

However, the deployment of green energy in Ukraine faces significant obstacles. The Russian invasion not only creates risks when it comes to installing production capacity and challenges in delivering parts, but it has also diverted workers to fight in war or repair power plants.

It has also increased the risk of damage, making it much more difficult to attract investment.

“Attracting partners willing to work under these conditions, obtaining financing from the private sector, in particular, is a challenge given the risk. We often need adequate financial guarantees, which is a very clear role that states can play “, explains Mr. Oatham, who highlights the support of the United States and the European Union.

The Ukrainian network must also be strengthened. Attacks on the energy system and reliance on slowly responding nuclear and thermal power plants make it difficult to balance the amount of electricity on the grid. Renewable energies like wind and solar could make the situation worse because they are weather-dependent.

Battery storage and grid improvements could help solve this reliability problem. DTEK aims to build 200 megawatts of storage and is working to strengthen the networks. This includes a pilot project aimed at digitizing the network and reducing outage times in reconquered towns synonymous with atrocities at the start of the war, such as Boutcha.

How can Ukraine survive the winter?

In the short term, however, fossil fuels remain a lifeline for Ukraine. Following targeted attacks that destroyed around 9.2 GW of generating capacity earlier this year, the country has been working hard to bring it back online.

“We need to think about this winter and keep the lights on in Ukraine, that’s why we are repairing our power plants as quickly as possible. At the same time, we need to plan what will happen next winter and subsequent winters “In other words, we need to ensure long-term resilience while fixing the roof for today,” says DTEK spokesperson Ben Harding.

Working on these plants is far from safe. Oleg, a second-generation energy worker who spoke on the condition of using only his first name, described the danger of his job and the duty to keep the lights on that runs in his blood .

“We risk our lives. When we go to work, we are not sure of returning home,” he explains.

He believes that renewable energy will constitute an important part of Ukraine’s energy mix in the coming years. “I think renewable energy is our future. However, we still depend on thermal power plants because we need them now to get through the winter,” he adds.

There are now fears that the energy system could once again be targeted. Whether energy production is renewable or fossil, the risk is constant as long as the war continues.

“We lack the rockets, the air defense, to hit the Russian rockets. It is also about protecting our skies and having a sufficient number of air defenses to protect the stations,” explains Larysa Bilozir, member of Parliament Ukrainian.

“The threats are great and even decentralization and alternative energies are also threatened, because Russia doubles or even triples its capacity to strike every night and terrorize Ukraine,” she adds.

Energy remains of paramount importance, not only to get Ukraine through the winter, but also to ensure the quality of life in the country. The series of photographs illustrates the idea that life must go on and the daily struggle to sustain it.