In 2022, low-carbon sources supplied about 71% of Ukraine’s electricity, while fossil fuels accounted for roughly 28%. Nuclear power was the backbone of the clean electricity supply, providing more than half of all electricity, at about 55%. Hydropower contributed around 10%, solar almost 5%, and wind just over 1%. Coal supplied about 23% and gas another 5%, leaving Ukraine with a substantial fossil electricity share to replace with clean generation to reduce climate emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Ukraine?

Ukraine’s electricity consumption was far below its historical peak in 2022, rather than setting new growth records. Consumption stood at about 2,770 kWh per person, compared with around 5,750 kWh in 1988—a decline of almost 3,000 kWh per person, or roughly 52%. Low-carbon electricity generation reached about 1,970 kWh per person, down from its 2021 record of approximately 2,430 kWh, a fall of around 470 kWh, or 19%. These figures indicate a worrying loss of electricity availability and clean generation relative to previous records, although they do not establish an uninterrupted decline throughout the intervening years.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, Ukraine should expand its existing nuclear fleet and build on the expertise behind its already substantial nuclear output. Nearby Slovakia, where nuclear supplies about 66% of electricity, and France, at about 67%, offer relevant examples of electricity systems anchored by nuclear power. Ukraine should also accelerate solar and wind development: Hungary generates about 23% of its electricity from solar and Bulgaria about 19%, providing useful regional examples for solar expansion. Lithuania’s 41% wind share and Poland’s 14% demonstrate additional opportunities for wind development in the wider region. Combining more nuclear, solar and wind with stronger grids would help Ukraine rebuild electricity supply and meet future demand from electrification and AI.

History

Ukraine’s low-carbon electricity history has been marked by strong nuclear gains interrupted by disappointing setbacks. In the late 1980s, nuclear generation fell by 10.6 TWh in 1986, then rose by 7.7 TWh in 1987 and an impressive 21.6 TWh in 1988, before dropping 5.5 TWh in 1989. The 1990s brought nuclear gains of roughly 10 TWh in 1990 and 9 TWh in 1996, interrupted by a 6.4 TWh decline in 1994; hydropower added nearly 6 TWh in 1998. Nuclear generation increased by about 5–6 TWh in both 2000 and 2004, but lost nearly 7 TWh in 2009. During the 2010s, nuclear gains in 2010, 2014 and 2017 alternated with declines of roughly 7 TWh in 2013 and 2016, while hydropower fell by about 5 TWh in 2014. After another nuclear decline of nearly 7 TWh in 2020, a 10 TWh recovery in 2021 was overwhelmed by a severe 24 TWh collapse in 2022—the largest annual loss listed. Such repeated losses of clean electricity represent major setbacks and underscore the importance of restoring and expanding Ukraine’s low-carbon generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade