Keeping renewables clean: the lessons to be learnt from Ukraine’s green energy transition

The document highlights the critical role of renewable energy in Ukraine's energy security and its potential to become a green energy hub for Europe, while warning that the surge in funding for renewables heightens corruption risks. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power company, describes its efforts to mitigate these risks through transparency, the use of a specialized CRM system to track aid, and collaboration with international bodies like the World Economic Forum's Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI). The author advocates for a combination of public disclosure, AI-driven monitoring, and collective action to ensure the energy transition remains clean and effective.

• The rapid expansion of renewable energy and the pursuit of net zero goals increase the risk of corruption, including the potential for misused funds and favoritism in contract awards, which can undermine public trust and stall projects.
• Ukraine possesses the capacity to produce nearly 19,000 TWh of solar and wind power annually, a figure that is seven times the current demand of Europe.
• DTEK has implemented a specialized CRM system to track foreign assistance throughout the aid lifecycle, recording over $48 million in equipment and managing an additional €107 million in aid from the US Government and European Commission.
• To combat corruption in the renewables sector, the document recommends three primary pillars: transparency through public disclosure and due diligence, the use of technology and AI to detect suspicious transactions and conflicts of interest, and collective action through partnerships with organizations such as the OECD and Transparency International.
• Decentralized renewable energy sources have proven more resilient to military attacks than centralized systems; for instance, DTEK invested €1.4 billion in renewables and developed the Tyligulska Wind Power Plant despite losing 500 MW of wind generation in 2014.

APA

Timchenko, M. (2024). Keeping renewables clean: the lessons to be learnt from Ukraine’s green energy transition. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/renewables-ukraine-green-energy-transition/

Chicago

Timchenko, Maxim. Keeping renewables clean: the lessons to be learnt from Ukraine’s green energy transition. World Economic Forum, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/renewables-ukraine-green-energy-transition/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Timchenko |first1=Maxim |title=Keeping renewables clean: the lessons to be learnt from Ukraine’s green energy transition |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=9 December 2024 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/renewables-ukraine-green-energy-transition/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{timchenko2024keeping, author = {Timchenko, Maxim}, title = {{Keeping renewables clean: the lessons to be learnt from Ukraine’s green energy transition}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/renewables-ukraine-green-energy-transition/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }