Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine for European Integration Anatolii Kutsevol participated in a joint event with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) titled “Renewables, Resilience and Power: UNEP–Italy–Ukraine–IRENA”, organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates.
Other participants included IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera, Ambassador of Ukraine to the UAE Oleksandr Balanutsa, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the UAE Lorenzo Fanaru, Ambassador of the European Union to the UAE Lucie Berger, and Chair of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine Anna Zamazieieva.
Anatolii Kutsevol briefed partners on the current state of Ukraine’s energy sector, key challenges amid ongoing security threats, and restoration priorities.
“Despite constant enemy shelling of energy infrastructure facilities, I would like to emphasize that Ukraine continues to pursue its green course. For us, renewable energy is not only a matter of climate policy or long-term development. It is a question of resilience, reliability, and national security,” the Deputy Minister stated.
Anatolii Kutsevol noted that the war has demonstrated the vulnerability of large centralized energy systems. For this reason, Ukraine is increasingly focusing on decentralized energy solutions — solar panels, municipal generation, and hybrid energy storage systems. These solutions help reduce risks, strengthen resilience, and ensure the operation of critical infrastructure even under attack.
Since 2022, nearly 1.3 GW of new renewable energy capacity has been commissioned in Ukraine.
The Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to IRENA and all international partners for their continuous support and solidarity, which help Ukraine maintain energy resilience.
He highlighted the effectiveness of the project “Unlocking Short- and Long-Term Solutions for Green and Resilient Energy in Ukrainian Cities”, implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Energy, in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and IRENA, and supported by the Government of Italy.
As part of the project, practical work has already begun on the development of solar energy in Ukrainian cities, including the use of digital tools to assess the solar generation potential of buildings, conducting comprehensive territorial analysis to identify optimal locations for solar energy facilities, and preparing project solutions for solar power plants of up to 30 MW for further investment attraction.
“This is very practical work that helps cities better understand their solar potential, plan renewable energy projects, and prepare them in a way that enables cooperation with investors and international partners. Such initiatives are particularly important as they combine short-term resilience with long-term planning and help local communities move from emergency response to sustainable recovery,” Anatolii Kutsevol emphasized.
