UWEA: ”Even under heavy shelling, turbines kept running”
I en intervju berättar Andriy Konechenkov, ordförande i Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA), om vilken roll vindkraften spelar för Ukrainas energiförsörjning, mitt under brinnande krig.
Intervjun är del av en serie i samband med lanseringen av Svensk Vindenergis rapport 25 förslag för ett säkrare, rikare och grönare Sverige. Fem av förslagen handlar om hur vindkraften kan stärka både totalförsvaret och energiomställningen – vilket är temat för denna första intervju.
Ukraine has seen that decentralised energy production, especially wind power, has been more resilient than other energy sources during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Can you share your experiences of how wind farms have continued to supply electricity despite Russian attacks on energy infrastructure?
Wind farms in Ukraine have, indeed, demonstrated remarkable resilience during the full-scale invasion of the Russian federation. Their decentralised nature makes them less vulnerable to large-scale disruptions compared to centralised power plants.
Thanks to the 500-600 meter spacing between turbines, the enemy may indeed hit a single turbine (and such incidents have occurred), but not the entire wind farm. The remaining turbines will continue generating electricity. The complete destruction of a wind farm is very costly to the enemy, and therefore effectively impossible.
Even under heavy shelling, turbines kept running – supporting local grids and critical infrastructure. Case in point: Odesa region, 2023. After massive attacks disabled key substations and left 550,000 people without power, two local wind farms helped restore electricity to ~100,000 consumers via distribution networks – even before repairs to the national grid were completed.
So, such resilience underscores the strategic importance of renewables – not just for sustainability, but for national security and energy independence in wartime conditions.
Andriy Konechenkov, chairman of the Board, Ukrainian Wind Energy Association
In Sweden, there is an ongoing discussion about how wind power can strengthen national defence and reduce vulnerabilities in the energy system.
Based on your experience, what security advantages have you seen from having more diverse and decentralised energy sources?
Diverse and decentralised energy sources, such as wind power, significantly enhance energy security by reducing dependence on centralized infrastructure that can be vulnerable to physical or cyber-attacks. In our experience, decentralisation increases system resilience, enabling continued operation even if parts of the grid are compromised.
Wind farms, especially when combined with local energy storage, can support critical infrastructure and maintain power supply during emergencies. This distributed architecture complicates targeting by adversaries and enhances national defence by strengthening civilian infrastructure against disruptions. It also reduces reliance on imported fuels, further increasing strategic autonomy.
Andriy Konechenkov, chairman of the Board, Ukrainian Wind Energy Association
How can your experience of operating wind power during wartime contribute to more robust energy planning in other countries, including Sweden?
Are there specific measures you would recommend to improve the coexistence of wind power and national defence?
While there are no formal examples yet in Ukraine of structured coexistence between wind power and national defence, our wartime experience highlights the importance of coordination. For instance, after the war began, the military requested the deactivation of light signals on some wind-measuring masts in sensitive areas in Ukraine – underscoring the need for flexible and responsive planning. However, these were isolated incidents, and currently, wind farms are being built without creating any obstacles for the Ukrainian military.
Additionally, technologies used in the wind sector, such as drones for turbine inspection, could theoretically support military surveillance in times of war (but, again, there are no such cases in Ukraine).
So, living in a new security architecture and geopolitical instability, we recommend establishing formal channels of coordination between the defence sector and wind (renewable) energy stakeholders early in the planning process. This includes joint risk assessments, secure protocols for airspace use, and guidance on the strategic placement of assets to avoid interference with military infrastructure. Investing in dual-use technologies, grid islanding capabilities, and resilient local storage solutions will further enhance energy security and defence readiness.
Andriy Konechenkov, chairman of the Board, Ukrainian Wind Energy Association
25 förslag för ett säkrare, rikare och grönare Sverige
Svensk Vindenergi har i en ny rapport samlat 25 förslag om hur vindkraft kan bidra till att lösa våra stora energiutmaningar i Sverige. Fem av dessa förslag handlar om hur vindkraften kan bidra till både totalförsvaret och energiomställningen.
Kontaktpersoner
Matilda Killander, Public Affairs-koordinator, Svensk Vindenergi
073-024 94 73
Nicole Dreher Sköld, kommunikationsansvarig, Svensk Vindenergi
073-398 71 35