In 2022, around 71% of Ukraine’s electricity came from low-carbon sources, while fossil fuels supplied about 28%. Nuclear was the backbone of the clean electricity supply, providing more than half of all electricity, at roughly 55%. Hydropower contributed about 10%, solar nearly 5%, and wind just over 1%. Among fossil sources, coal accounted for approximately 23% of electricity and gas for 5%. Ukraine therefore had a predominantly low-carbon electricity mix, but reducing coal and gas use further would help curb climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Ukraine?

The latest figures do not show electricity consumption growing toward its historical peak. In 2022, consumption stood at about 2,770 kWh per person, compared with a record of roughly 5,750 kWh in 1988—a decline of almost 2,980 kWh per person, or about 52%. Low-carbon electricity generation also fell: it reached approximately 1,970 kWh per person in 2022, nearly 470 kWh below its 2021 record of about 2,430 kWh, a drop of roughly 19%. These substantial declines are concerning: rebuilding and expanding clean electricity supply is important for supporting recovery and future demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

Ukraine can increase low-carbon electricity generation by expanding its established nuclear fleet while accelerating solar and wind deployment. Nearby Slovakia, where nuclear supplies about 66% of electricity, and France, at 67%, offer useful examples of sustaining a strong nuclear foundation. For solar, Ukraine can learn from Hungary’s approximately 22% share and Bulgaria’s 19%, including how to scale deployment and integrate it into the electricity grid. Wind also has considerable room to grow: Lithuania generates around 39% of its electricity from wind, while Poland and Romania reach about 14% and 13%, respectively. Drawing on these regional examples, Ukraine can combine expanded nuclear generation with growing solar and wind output to deliver more clean electricity and displace fossil generation.

History

Ukraine’s low-carbon electricity history shows substantial nuclear growth interrupted by troubling setbacks. In the late 1980s, nuclear generation fell by 10.6 TWh in 1986, then rose by 7.7 TWh in 1987 and 21.6 TWh in 1988, before another 5.5 TWh decline in 1989. The 1990s brought nuclear gains of 9.7 TWh in 1990 and 9.1 TWh in 1996, alongside a 6.4 TWh fall in 1994; hydropower increased by 5.9 TWh in 1998. Nuclear added roughly 5–6 TWh in both 2000 and 2004, but lost 6.9 TWh in 2009. During the 2010s, nuclear increases in 2010, 2014, and 2017 alternated with significant declines in 2013 and 2016, while hydropower fell by 5.2 TWh in 2014. Most recently, nuclear generation dropped by 6.8 TWh in 2020, rebounded by 10 TWh in 2021, and then suffered an exceptionally severe 24.1 TWh loss in 2022. These repeated losses—especially the 2022 collapse—represent deeply concerning setbacks for clean electricity supply and underscore the importance of restoring and expanding nuclear output.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade