Due to Russian aggression, Ukraine lost almost all wind power – REN21

Due to Russian aggression, Ukraine lost almost all wind power – REN21 shutterstock
Katerina Belousova

Among the 17 countries of the region, Ukraine has achieved the greatest success in renewable energy

In Ukraine, due to the full-scale invasion of кussia, 90% of wind and 30% of solar power plants have been decommissioned.

This is stated in a new report ща REN21, a research center for renewable energy and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), informs Bloomberg.

The study examined the state of renewable energy in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Southeast and Eastern Europe, including russia, Ukraine, Albania, and Kazakhstan.

The report noted that among 17 countries in the region, Ukraine has achieved the greatest success in solar and wind energy. Thus, during 2017-2021, 8.3 GW of new capacities were installed, and 21 GW in the entire studied region.

A quarter of the region's total wind capacity and a fifth of its solar power were affected by the full-scale invasion.

"While the war has hampered growth in the short term, it has also highlighted the potential of domestic solar and wind generation to ensure energy independence," the report said.

Rana Adib, Executive Director of REN21, noted that this growth in renewable energy in the region until 2021 was mainly driven by favorable policies and falling costs of renewable energy technologies. However, energy security is currently a priority.

The report also noted that the region lags behind in improving the energy efficiency of buildings and expanding green transportation options. As of 2020, Ukraine had the highest share of electric transport among the block - 2.5%.

"The russian invasion of Ukraine and its spillover effect on neighboring countries undermines renewable energy production in the short term," Adib said. "At the same time, it shed new light on the benefits of a rapid energy transition and could lead to a surge in renewables in the region."

Earlier, EcoPolitic worte, that the executive director of the Association of Solar Energy of Ukraine Artem Semenyshyn called the war unleashed by russia in Ukraine also war against renewable energy.

As EcoPolitic previously reported, in Ukraine due to russian aggression damaged or more than 550 MW of solar power was destroyed power plants and domestic SPPs.

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