Electricity in Ukraine in 2022
In 2022, Ukraine's electricity consumption shows a strong reliance on low-carbon sources, with over 70% of their electricity produced through clean methods. A significant portion, more than half, of the electricity is generated by nuclear power, demonstrating its critical role in Ukraine's energy mix. Hydropower also contributes nearly 10% to the clean energy quota, and solar power adds around 5%, showcasing the diversification within their low-carbon portfolio. Meanwhile, fossil fuels still account for over a quarter of the electricity, with coal making up the majority of this segment at 21%, and gas providing an additional 6%. This division highlights Ukraine's significant strides in adopting sustainable electricity sources, even as they continue to rely on some fossil fuel-based generation.
Suggestions
To further enhance low-carbon electricity generation, Ukraine could expand its nuclear capacity, given its already prominent role and existing infrastructure. Learning from countries with strong low-carbon footprints, Ukraine could also capitalize on wind and solar energy. For instance, Denmark and Ireland achieve significant portions of their electricity from wind, reaching 52% and 32%, respectively. These nations, alongside others like Lithuania and Poland, demonstrate how targeted investments in wind energy can substantially increase the share of low-carbon electricity. Similarly, countries such as Lebanon and Spain have made impressive gains in solar energy, with more than 30% and 21% respectively of their electricity coming from solar. Such examples offer Ukraine valuable insights into diversifying and amplifying its clean electricity generation capabilities.
History
Historically, Ukraine's low-carbon electricity, particularly from nuclear energy, has experienced varied growth. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were both significant expansions and declines, such as a sizeable loss of nuclear electricity generation in 1986, followed by notable expansions in subsequent years. Key growth occurred in 1996 and 2010, with nuclear contributing noteworthy increases of 9.1 TWh and 6.2 TWh respectively. However, there have been challenging periods, such as a sharp decrease of approximately 24 TWh in 2022. Alongside nuclear, hydropower also saw an increase in 1998, with a 5.9 TWh upturn. Despite fluctuations, nuclear energy has consistently played a vital role in Ukraine’s low-carbon electricity trajectory, underscoring the need for sustained focus on expanding clean energy infrastructure.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.