Wind power is emerging as a beacon of hope in Ukraine, which has seen its energy grid battered by Russian strikes
As Russian missiles pummel Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a new ‘friendly’ wind turbine maker has re-started production after a 1,500km flight to the country’s west from the frontline city it once called home.
“It’s been a tough road, especially due to the conditions under which the process of relocation took place.”
Those conditions included transporting “bulky and super heavy” equipment 1,500km across the country on roads that were often “not in the best condition” and other times blocked entirely.
Friendly Wind was founded in 2022 after the forced relocation of its parent entity, Management Company Wind Parks of Ukraine, one of the largest developers in Ukraine.
Operations had previously been based out of Kramatorsk, a city in the eastern Donetsk Oblast, which had seen fierce fighting between Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists even before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Kramatorsk is now perilously close to the front line, around 20km, as Russian troops continue to take new ground following a frustrated Ukrainian counteroffensive last year and delays in securing military aid from the US and Europe.
Kramatorsk has long been a manufacturing hub and Poshtak said that its industrial infrastructure has been “subjected to especially massive shelling.
“We had to save our industrial and human resources potential” and move west, she said, to “keep supporting the economy and developing renewable sources, which for now, when the country’s energy system has suffered huge losses, is especially important.”
Since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has battered Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones.
Now that Friendly Wind has completed its journey and established its new factory near the city of Uzhhorod, which borders Slovakia, the manufacturer plans to help rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure by producing 20 turbines a year with capacities ranging from 4.8-5.5MW.
Friendly Wind has already begun work on turbines for what it said will be the first wind farm in the Transcarpathian region, which will have a capacity of 80MW. In total, it boasts a 500MW pipeline of projects.
The turbine maker is owned by Maxim Efimov, who was until recently a member of Ukraine’s parliament representing Kramatorsk, before he resigned in December to help support the city’s war effort.
Friendly Wind is financed through private investors, while it also has an agreement with a Ukrainian state bank to co-finance the construction of wind farms.
“With over 80% of Ukraine’s thermal and hydroelectric generation facilities destroyed, swift decisions to restore the energy system are crucial,” said Andriy Konechenkov, chair of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association board.
“Building energy facilities powered by local renewable sources can save both the population and businesses from the energy crisis, ensuring a transition to decentralised, resilient generation.”
The growth of Ukrainian companies like Friendly Wind is he said a “vital step towards our country’s energy security.”