Yesterday, September 14, 2021, a working meeting of representatives of leading NGOs in the energy sector with Andreas Feicht, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Dr.Falk Boemeke, Head of Division, Division IIA2 Bilateral Energy Cooperation, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The public sector was represented by Olexandra Gumeniuk, Director of European-Ukrianian Energy Agency, Olexandr Dombrovskyy, Chairman of the Public Platform 100% Renewables, Olena Pavlenko, President of Dixi Group, Kostiantyn Krynytskyi Head of the Department of Energy Ecodia, Andriy Vorfolomeev, Director of the Center for Resource Efficient and Clean Production, Oleksandr Repkin, President of the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council.
During the meeting, the German paty outlined priority issues in energy sector, in particular, a fair transition from electricity production from coal to clean, which includes a range of solutions and mandatory deadlines, for example, Germany has a deadline for carbon neutrality in 2045 , Ukraine also needs to be clear about deadlines and priorities; development of renewable energy as the priority directly related to the priorities with Ukraine, because given Ukraine’s plans to integrate the Integrated Power System of Ukraine (IPS) into the European one, it implies Ukraine’s ability to export its own electricity to the EU, but carbon intensive electricity from fossil fuels will no longer be bought in the EU, at the same time, Ukraine must be able to import electricity to cover peak loads and ensure competition in the electricity market; Hydrogen is also a very complex issue, as it requires both hydrogen production and consumption, so Ukraine needs to work on this and demonstrate its readiness to actively launch the market in the next 2-3 years, to create a regulatory environment, infrastructure for transportation and local consumption, optimal production, etc.
Representatives of civil society shared current topics in the energy sector, including the risks and losses that Ukraine has through Nord Stream 2, gas transit through Ukraine, in addition to gas raised the issue of lack of incentives for energy efficiency of end users, the instability of rapidly changing legislation, the problem on the fulfillment of obligations by the state and the accumulation of debts to electricity producers from renewable energy sources and in the energy sector in general, as well as the need to attract investment, as the energy sector is in dire need of it.
In conclusion, the participants agreed to maintain dialogue and further cooperation.
