Ukraine has started negotiations with a number of countries that have expressed interest in holding a second Peace Summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“Every step towards a just peace has attracted the attention of certain groups of summit participants and countries that have not yet joined but are interested in peace,” Zelensky said at the conclusion of the first inaugural Peace Summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday.
According to him, “we already have countries that have expressed their interest in holding a second peace summit, and we have started negotiations with them.”
The head of state did not name the list of such countries.
He also noted that “these days, uniting 101 countries and an international organization, we have achieved a great success for Ukraine and all partners.” “And our fair goal is that all countries of the world join this noble cause,” summarized Zelensky.
On the margins of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr.
According to the President’s Office, in the presence of the leaders, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Palau Secretary of State Gustav Aitaro signed a Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the states.
The meeting between the presidents was the first high-level contact between Ukraine and Pacific Palau.
Zelensky thanked Surangel Whipps Jr. for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and invited Palau to join the implementation of the “Environmental Security” clause of the Peace Formula. “It is very important that you have found the opportunity to come to the Peace Summit. Thank you for your clear position. The issues being discussed at the Summit are important not only for Europe, but for the whole world,” the Ukrainian head of state said.
In Ukraine on Sunday, June 16, is expected to worsen weather conditions, reports Ukrhydrometcenter.
“In most southern, central and Kharkiv regions heavy rains, in the afternoon in some areas hail and squalls 15-20 m/s (I level of danger, yellow),” – stated in the message.
The situation in the Ukrainian energy system next week will be perceptibly more difficult compared to the current week, said the Chairman of the Board of the NEC Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyy.
“Next week will be more difficult for the energy system, because the heat wave will return and we will have a reduced capacity of nuclear power plants, if compared to the current week,” he said in an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda on Friday.
According to the NEC head, due to the massive shelling, the energy system has lost its reserve of strength and has become dependent on sudden changes in electricity consumption and weather, forcing it to balance by shutting down consumers.
“Our energy system, having lost more than 9 GW of capacity due to shelling, now has no reserve of strength. If earlier we had additional power plants that could be switched on promptly, we would overlap by switching on some hydro units or TPP units, now we simply do not have such a maneuver,” – explained Kudrytskyy.”
As previously reported, Energoatom announced that it would put a 1000 MW nuclear power plant unit under repair as part of a planned repair campaign in 2024. The company pointed out that, given this and the increase in electricity consumption in July, the generation deficit in the power system may increase.
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal noted that saving e/e will be part of Ukraine’s daily life in the coming years due to Russian attacks on the country’s energy sector.
The World Bank Group’s IFC plans to mobilize about $345 million to build a new 350 MW wind power capacity in Ukraine, the corporation said on its website on Wednesday.
The report said the initiative was presented among other initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine at the URC-2024 recovery conference in Berlin.
Now these projects, which are planned to be implemented in order to improve energy security and support further development of renewable energy in Ukraine, are undergoing due diligence and awaiting approval by the IFC management and Board of Directors, the corporation specified.
As reported, at URC-2024, Knud Rissel, commercial director of the German company Notus Energy, said that it is engaged in the implementation of a 300 MW WPP project in the Odessa region, the first phase of which will be 120 MW.
“We already have all the permits, in particular those related to land. Banks are supporting us, although they are taking a risk by supporting us. But we are all ready to work even under martial law,” he said.
According to Rissel, the company also signed some agreements on the project realization at this conference.
German company GOLDBECK SOLAR Investment and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are setting up a joint venture, GOLDBECK SOLAR Investment Ukraine, to implement 500MW solar power plant projects in Ukraine over the next three to five years.
“The aim of the new company is to develop, finance, construct and operate solar power projects to thereby support Ukraine’s energy independence and sustainability,” the company said in a press release on its website on Wednesday at the end of URC-2024 in Berlin.
GOLDBECK SOLAR Investment will receive a EUR5 million loan from DEG (Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft) for its commitment in Ukraine through the ImpactConnect program initiated and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Planning for the construction of the first solar park is due to start in the fall of 2024.
As noted, this is the EBRD’s first equity agreement in Ukraine’s energy sector since the full-scale Russian invasion. The document emphasizes the economic viability of the investment scenario and the continued role of GOLDBECK SOLAR as a reliable partner of the bank after previous debt financing transactions in Poland and Kazakhstan.
The EBRD, for its part, notes in a press release that the JV agreement will strengthen its relationship with GOLDBECK SOLAR Group, which it characterizes as an experienced German solar company with more than 20 years of experience. According to him, GOLDBECK SOLAR Group currently employs more than 550 people and has built more than 3 GW of solar capacity in 20 countries.
“This will be the group’s first investment and activity in Ukraine, which is also an important benchmark to stimulate foreign direct investment in its energy sector, especially with a focus on refurbishment and green transition,” the EBRD notes.
According to Joachim Goldbeck, CEO of GOLDBECK SOLAR Group, quoted on the company’s website, the group is aware of the risks posed by the current political situation, but recognizes: the future of Europe is linked to the future of Ukraine, “so we need to set an example today.”
“With our expertise and EBRD resources, we can make significant progress in the renewable energy sector. We see great potential in Ukraine and are confident that our actions will make a sustainable contribution to the country’s energy supply and encourage other companies to follow our path,” emphasized Olga Kovalchuk, Managing Director of the newly established GOLDBECK SOLAR Investment Ukraine.
According to Arvid Turkner, EBRD Managing Director for Ukraine and Moldova, the Bank welcomes this project, which has made it possible to attract key cross-border investments in Ukraine.
Grzegorz Zielinski, Director for Energy in Europe at the EBRD, in turn, expressed hope that the bank’s comprehensive approach to Ukraine’s energy sector at both public and private levels will catalyze further investment in the sector.
It is reported that in the framework of the URC Joachim Goldbeck and Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Svetlana Grinchuk signed a memorandum of understanding with a joint commitment to cooperate in several areas and activities to promote private investment in the renewable energy sector of Ukraine.
