The potential of solar and wind energy in Ukraine is 150 times higher than the current demand for electricity

This is the conclusion made by researchers from the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), who, at the request of Greenpeace Germany, analyzed the potential of solar and wind energy in Ukraine based on digital maps of the Geographic Information System (GIS).

A few important conclusions from the report:

• Ukraine has a huge potential for solar and wind energy production that exceeds its current domestic demand (125 TWh/year).
• Under the realistic assumption of using solar and wind energy only in areas more than 10 km away from high-voltage grids, Ukraine could meet its total electricity demand (in 2021) from only 1% of all sites suitable for solar and wind installations.
• Compared to solar energy, Ukraine's overall onshore wind resource is lower.
• Ukraine's considerable resources available for solar and onshore wind energy can not only meet domestic demand but also generate energy for export to neighboring countries.
• The export of electricity from renewable sources or gases and fuels produced from such energy requires a special export-oriented energy infrastructure.
• Renewable energy has the potential to create about 20,000 new jobs in Ukraine by 2030. Renewable energy production also creates opportunities for long-term employment.
• Renewable energy technologies have dominated the market for new investments for more than five years in a row.

The full report on Ukraine's solar and wind energy potential is available here.

Not only is Ukraine capable of fully meeting its domestic electricity demand with solar and onshore wind power plants on just 1% of its available land, it has significant potential to export renewable energy to the EU. To realize this significant economic potential, it is necessary to strengthen existing transmission lines and build new ones to better connect the Ukrainian and EU grids.

Renewable energy can provide additional revenue for Ukraine's economy and create jobs with long-term employment opportunities.

The analysis of the solar and wind energy potential of countries around the world is published in the public domain at www.uts.edu.au/oecm.

The potential of solar and wind energy has not yet been adequately recognized by Ukrainian policy makers, particularly at the level of discussion. The findings of this study also support the idea of strengthening cooperation with Europe in the field of energy supply and encourage Ukrainian communities and individuals to take their own energy supply and future into their own hands.