The Verkhovna Rada supported the appointment of Denys Shmyhal, former head of the Ministry of Defense, as the First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy of Ukraine. In his first public statement in his new position, Shmyhal outlined three main areas of focus: restoring the energy system, enhancing its resilience, and large-scale modernization.
This is reported by Business • Media
Restoration and Resilience of Energy Infrastructure
According to the minister, the top priority is to overcome the acute phase of the energy crisis caused by the full-scale war. Shmyhal emphasized that nearly every energy facility has been attacked by the Russian Federation, resulting in the destruction or damage of 10 GW of generating capacity. He noted positive dynamics in the development of new gas generation, specifically, last year, 762 MW of new capacity was put into operation. However, in Shmyhal’s opinion, achieving resilience requires a sharp increase in the pace of energy sector development, which will be possible through deregulation, simplifying connection procedures to the grid, and attracting investments.
“Resilience also means building decentralized generation; we are focusing on this as well. Last year, 762 MW of new gas generation was put into operation. The dynamics are positive, but the pace needs to be sharply increased through deregulation, simplifying connection mechanisms to the grid, and attracting investments,” Shmyhal noted.
Modernization Plan and Development of Nuclear Energy
The minister emphasized that the government is working on creating a model whereby distributed generation should cover local energy needs and provide reserves in case of emergencies. As Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the development of protection systems remains a priority. Shmyhal also highlighted the importance of developing nuclear energy, stressing the necessity of constructing new nuclear power units as soon as possible, particularly based on the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant.