Ukrainian centralized solar container energy storage system

Is Ukraine making a'strategic shift' toward Distributed Energy Resources?

Ukraine is making a “strategic shift” toward distributed energy resources. In the two and a half years since Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukraine’s energy system has been a regular target, with attacks on thermal and hydro assets, substations, and solar units.

Does Ukraine need a new electricity grid?

A recent United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission’s report estimates that the country has lost at least 18 gigawatts of electricity capacity, half of which was destroyed in summer 2024 alone. So as winter sets in, Ukraine is rushing to rebuild its grid and restore its power generation. But the new grid will be markedly different from the old.

What are the main sources of electricity in Ukraine?

Coal was the source of around 23% of the country’s generation, followed by natural gas (9%), hydroelectric (6.5%), solar (4%), and wind (2%). Today, however, Zaporizhzhia, the country’s biggest nuclear power plant, is under Russian occupation, which alone reduced Ukraine’s generation capacity by 6 gigawatts.

How will Ukraine's new grid be different from the old?

So as winter sets in, Ukraine is rushing to rebuild its grid and restore its power generation. But the new grid will be markedly different from the old. The country’s developers are aiming to make it both more resilient and more modern through the use of distributed energy resources, digital twins, and smart meters.