The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ukraine (NEURC) has set a feed-in tariff for the first stage of a wind power plant of EuroCape Ukraine I LLC (Zaporizhia region) with a capacity of 98.01 MW in the amount of 8.82 eurocents per kWh.
According to the decision adopted at the meeting on April 22, the tariff is valid until January 1, 2030.
The first stage of Zaporizhia wind farm consisting of 27 GE Renewable Energy wind turbines with a capacity of 3.6 MW in accordance with the SACI certificate was commissioned on April 7, 2021. The planned annual volume of electricity supply from the facility is 325.5 million kWh.
As reported, EuroCape Ukraine I announced plans to build 500 MW wind farms in Zaporizhia region back in 2009, however, in particular, due to problems with land allocation, the project entered the construction stage only in mid-2019.
Lending for the construction of the wind farm is carried out with the financial support of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC, formerly OPIC), which in December 2017 approved a loan for $ 150 million and insurance with reinsurance in the amount of up to $ 320 million. The total cost of construction of the wind farm was then estimated at EUR466 million ($ 560 million).
In July 2019, General Electric (GE) and LongWing Energy SCA (Luxembourg) issued a $ 150 million debt financing package for the first stage of Zaporizhia wind farm.
EuroCape Ukraine I is part of EuroCape New Energy Ltd of the international concern Eurocape Group, which is engaged in the development and construction of wind and solar energy facilities. In addition to its activities in Ukraine, the concern also has large-scale projects in France, Italy, Romania and Poland.
Cyprus-based LongWing Ukraine Limited (formerly Eurocape (Ukraine) Limited) is a 100% beneficiary of EuroCape Ukraine I.
Up to 300 MW of wind power capacities could be introduced in Ukraine in 2019, which is at least twice more than in 2018, Board Chairman of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA) Andriy Konechenkov has said.
He said that currently wind farms are being built by Wind Parks of Ukraine LLC in Mykolaiv and Donetsk regions (about 50 MW). The DTEK Group in Zaporizhia region is building the first phase of the Prymorska Wind Farm (expected to be completed in the first half of the year), as well as the Orlovka Wind Farm. In Kherson region, Windkraft Ukraine is completing the construction of a 70 MW Overianivka Wind Farm, and the company is starting construction of a 163 MW Myrne Wind Farm, the head of the UWEA said.
According to the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation of Ukraine (NCER), in 2018, 67.7 MW of wind farms were installed. In particular, the statistics of last year included the second stage of the Novotroyitske Wind Farm with a total capacity of 40.15 MW, built in 2017, but which obtained a feed-in tariff as early as 2018.
Some plants built last year were not taken into account by the NCER, since they obtained or will obtain a feed-in tariff this year, the UWEA said. For example, last year in Odesa region (the first project in wind power in this region), Turkey’s Guris Holding Co. built the Ovid Wind plant with a capacity of 32.4 MW. Due to the problems associated with obtaining different licenses, the launch is expected by the end of March.
According to the calculations of the association, the total number of projects currently under construction in Ukraine is 893 MW (those that have already received funding and for which contracts have been signed for the supply of wind turbines), including the Syvash Wind Farm project for 250 MW. Most of them will be implemented before the end of 2020, the head of UWEA said.
In addition, projects for the construction of a wind farm on 3.33 GW, in different regions are in the development stage. “Almost all of them are registered on the website of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, that is, they are undergoing an environmental impact assessment procedure, which indicates the beginning of the investment process. Among them, by the way, there are a lot of small plants – 9, 13, 30, 60 MW each. These wind farms will not have negative impact on the operation of the power grid, as it is almost distributed generation,” Konechenkov said.
The further development of wind energy will depend on the final version of the law on green auctions, which is expected to be adopted in March, in particular, from the state-allocated quotas for the construction of renewable energy facilities.
Ukraine Power Resources plans to build a wind power plant in Odesa region, Odesa Regional State Administration’s press service has reported.
According to the report, the construction of wind turbines is to begin this autumn. According to the project, it is planned to place 26 wind turbines with a total capacity of 100 megawatts in Lymansky district between the villages of Vyzyrka and Liubopil. Representatives of the company have already met with the leadership of the communities and villages located around the territory where it is planned to implement the project, the regional administration said.
“We have chosen Odesa region, because it has excellent natural wind resources. We are now choosing a turbine manufacturer and holding talks with investors who can provide the financing. EUR 140 million in investment will be attracted at the first stage of the project. In October we will get a building permit and immediately start it,” Ukraine Power Resources CEO Peter Gish said.
According to the company’s website, Gish is a co-founder of Ukraine Power Resources. Over the last two decades, he has successfully participated in the development of over 2.1 GWs of wind power capacity in six countries.
