Fact-finding mission on wind power plants in Ukraine

The renewable energy sector is rapidly developing in Ukraine. In such conditions, it is essential to take a comprehensive approach to the planning and implementation of wind power plants. This requires considering not only the country`s electricity demand, but also the appropriateness of the location of the power plants, as well as their potential impacts on local communities and environment. And so, in July this year, a team from Ecoaction – our Regional Focal Point in Eastern Europe – set off on a fact-finding mission to assess just this, with field visits in the Odesa region to review the Ovid Wind and Dnistrovska wind power plants (WPP).

Ovid Wind WPP is the first wind farm in the Odesa region. It was built by the Turkish company Güriş Holding in 2019 and has a capacity of 32.4 MW. All nine wind turbines are located within the Ovidopol community in the Odesa district. The Dnistrovska WPP is a project of Elementum Energy, based in the United Kingdom, which is part of the VR Capital Group Ltd (USA). Construction of the wind farm began in February 2020. The first phase (10 wind turbines) was commissioned in 2021, and the second phase (11 wind turbines) - in May 2023. The wind farm has a total capacity of 100 MW and is located within the territories of the Starokozatska, Mayakivska, and Molohivska communities in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district. Both wind power plants are built on flat terrain and are located near the Dnistrovskyi Estuary. The surrounding lands to wind farms are currently used for agriculure.

During the trip, Ecoaction had the opportunity to speak with representatives of the local communities where these wind farms are located. Specifically, official meetings were held at the Mayakivka and Ovidopol village councils, where the project’s general characteristics, experiences involving the community in consultations, and cooperation with investors were discussed.

“Field visits are extremely valuable to our work. They give the opportunity to collect relevant and reliable information about ongoing projects, engage in dialogue with local community members and hear their opinions, gain a better understanding of community needs, and see the impact of these projects firsthand. Such a fact-finding mission helps us form a more complete picture and inspires us to keep moving forward,” says Anastasiia Kliepko, a specialist in Ecoaction’s Agriculture and Land Use Department.

Along with ensuring that the voices of local communities are heard in decision-making processes related to the development of energy projects, Ecoaction is also planning to conduct additional research on these wind farms to identify their main strengths and potential risks. Watch this space for further developments!