During 2024, despite ongoing challenges from the Russian invasion, CAN Europe Member Ecoclub in Ukraine intensified its efforts toward building resilient, sustainable energy systems. A flagship initiative, Renewables for Resilient Ukraine (R2U), is an ambitious project focused on installing solar power plants and heat pumps at critical public facilities, enhancing community resilience and accelerating Ukraine’s energy transition.
Ukraine’s municipalities have faced extraordinary pressure with the ongoing war severely impacting the reliability of national energy infrastructure. Critical facilities have become highly vulnerable to frequent power outages, placing entire communities at risk. Recognising this urgent humanitarian need, Ecoclub launched the R2U project with support from a consortium of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). During 2024, across various critical infrastructure sites, the project installed 19 solar power plants and one heat pump delivering a total capacity of more than 1 MW. These installations served hospitals, water utilities, and educational facilities, vastly improving their energy independence, operational stability, and resilience during emergencies. Ecoclub’s approach throughout the R2U project has been to assist municipalities at every step of the renewable energy transition. The support also covered:
• site identification
• technical feasibility assessments
• securing financial resources
• coordinating construction processes
• providing continuous technical and communication support
This holistic strategy facilitated both rapid adoption of renewable technologies and empowered communities, ensuring municipal entities have long-term ownership and management of installed renewable assets.
Beyond immediate resilience, these pilot projects also provided municipalities with additional revenue sources and demonstrated practical models for an equitable energy transition. The initiative significantly increased community support for renewable technologies, inspiring local authorities across Ukraine to integrate renewable energy into their recovery and development plans.
In 2024, Ecoclub received renewable energy assistance requests from 635 municipalities which represents 43 per cent of all municipalities in Ukraine. To address this unprecedented demand, Ecoclub delivered more than 600 individual consultations, facilitated over 100 online meetings, and supported municipalities in developing 15 comprehensive feasibility studies and 30 preliminary assessments. This sustained engagement directly enabled two additional municipalities to independently install solar power plants for their water utilities by year-end, signalling a growing local capacity to manage renewable energy transitions autonomously.
In addition to the R2U initiative, Ecoclub also partnered with Oxfam, installing solar power plants at water utilities in three war-affected municipalities, Sumy, Myrhorod, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. These now provide energy security and uninterrupted water supply for approximately 340,000 residents. The plants include battery storage systems which significantly enhance resilience and reduce dependency on centralised power grids. These pilot projects delivered significant practical results. One prominent example is the solar power installation at a water pumping station managed by the Sumy Water Utility. During an extended blackout lasting nearly 14 hours, the solar plant provided energy to the pumping station enabling it to operate independently for two critical hours. This period allowed replenishment of essential drinking water supplies, which were then distributed to hospitals and shelters. Commenting on the impact of the installation Oleksiy Zhukov, Chief Engineer, Sumy Water Utility said: “The solar installation substantially minimised the negative consequences of power outages, demonstrating a reliable and sustainable approach to ensuring essential municipal services under wartime conditions.”
Ecoclub also collaborated with Scatec Ukraine, Yellowblue Force Foundation, Ukrgasvydobuvannya, and the German Embassy in Ukraine to facilitate the installation of solar power plants at over 20 hospitals located in heavily affected regions including Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. These initiatives provided critical facilities with stable energy sources, reduced operational costs, and served as visible models for a broader transition to renewables in challenging contexts.
Ecoclub’s total efforts in 2024 resulted in the successful completion of 37 solar power plant installations, including those implemented through the R2U project and other partnership initiatives. Collectively, these installations represent 2,094.77 kW of solar capacity, generatingn approximately 1,123 MWh of clean electricity annually.
Ecoclub’s recognition of the importance of building local capabilities and future-proofing resulted in the implementation of extensive training and capacity-building initiatives which reached over 1,500 participants from local governments and civil society. This effort has significantly enhanced municipalities’ ability to independently pursue renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Ecoclub achieved meaningful policy impacts through strategic advocacy at both national and international levels, simplifying bureaucratic procedures for decentralised renewable energy deployment and influencing key legislative developments supportive of renewable energy technologies and financing.
Reflections on the 2024 outcomes of the Renewables for Resilient Ukraine initiative clearly demonstrate that decentralised renewable energy is not just an environmental imperative but a cornerstone of Ukraine’s recovery and resilience. Ecoclub remains firmly committed to further expanding these efforts, empowering communities, and championing policies that support Ukraine’s pathway toward climate neutrality by 2050.
The R2U project was made possible by the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany (BMWK) with the support of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) in Ukraine and is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
