Ukraine can ensure energy independence by fully synchronizing its national legislation with the EU’s legal framework. This will create uniform rules for all participants and increase the investment attractiveness of the sector for its transformation into a clean, efficient, competitive industry.
This was stated by Dmytro Sakharuk, the Executive Director of DTEK, during the All-Ukrainian Forum Ukraine 30, in which he participated in the panel discussion: ‘Ukraine's Energy Independence: What is it’.
According to Dmytro Sakharuk, "today, it is critical to complete the liberalization of the electricity market. The application of best practices from European management methods will solve a number of systemic problems embedded in our industry. This will enable Ukrainian consumers and producers to take full advantage of the liberalized market through the development of competitive advantages in the industry. It’s no longer a question of which development model to follow or the creation of road maps; it's time for practical decisions and actions to be taken. At the level of government, monitoring the implementation of Ukraine's energy integration plan into Europe is paramount. "
He added, aspirations for European integration will have a positive impact on simultaneously increasing Ukraine's energy independence in several aspects:
- reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency
- reducing import dependence and reliance on one supplier through the development of competition
- synchronization with the European energy system ENTSO-E
- development of RES to reduce dependence on coal, gas and oil.
Ukraine is one of the largest energy markets in continental Europe and needs to drastically strengthen its energy security. According to a study by the Global Energy Institute (USA), in 2020, Ukraine ranked last (25th) in terms of energy security among the 25 largest energy markets in the world.