How to strengthen Ukraine's energy security, Andrii Kulchak, the winner of the Essay Contest on energy security, which was held by the USAID Energy Security Project (ESP), shared in his essay with online.ua.
The issue of energy security became especially acute for Ukraine with the beginning of a full-scale invasion. The stoppage of Russia’s supply of energy resources (natural gas, nuclear fuel, oil, and oil products) forced the Ukrainian government to reconsider the issue of energy security. This war crystallized the role of Ukraine’s energy sector in ensuring the European continent’s energy security.
Energy security means ensuring the population’s energy needs in sufficient quantity and without harming the environment. Therefore, Ukraine is gradually implementing the European Green Course, which provides for the development of Ukrainian energy, the replacement of heat generation with renewable energy sources, the complete transformation of coal regions, an increase in the share of renewable energy, etc.
Strengthening energy security is especially important for Ukraine in a state of war. The enemy continues to shell power plants, and our energy workers risk their lives to provide us with light, heat, and hot water. And Ukraine needs to increase its gas production so that we stop depending on imports. Separately, I want to mention the seizure of the Zaporizhia NPP by the occupiers and the regular attempts to attack the Khmelnytsky NPP – we must take care of more reliable protection of our energy facilities in the future.
Strengthening the energy security of Ukraine is also important for me personally, because I dream of energy and environmental security of the environment. Reliable protection of our power plants, transmission lines, thermal plants and networks – all this will allow us to have access to everything that can be called relative comfort during the war and the opportunity to continue education while remaining in our native country.
How can I strengthen Ukraine’s energy security?
I would like to see a complete transition to renewable energy sources that will not harm the environment. It is a pity that solar and wind generation are susceptible to weather conditions. Therefore, I would like to invent a technology that can be applied to solar panels to increase their energy efficiency and extend the term of their use. What I can do now and what I’m already doing is learning myself and teaching the whole family to consume consciously. And I think a lot about how to increase energy security through the production of some share of energy by households and enterprises.
