FORMATION OF UKRAINE’S ENERGY SYSTEM: FROM LOCAL NETWORKS TO ENTSO-E INTEGRATION
Abstract
The article addresses the crucial role of Ukraine’s energy system in ensuring economic and national security amid war, European integration, and ongoing geopolitical challenges, including Russia’s aggression and the inherited vulnerabilities of a centralized Soviet model. The study analyzes the historical evolution of Ukraine’s Unified Energy System (UES), from early urban grids of the late 19th century and the Soviet GOELRO electrification plan to postwar reconstruction and the establishment of a unified network in the 1970s. Special attention is given to key institutional milestones, such as the creation of Ukrenergo in 1992, desynchronization from Russia’s IPS/UPS system in 2022, and subsequent integration with ENTSO-E, which enhanced operational stability and energy independence. The research examines how wartime attacks exposed the systemic risks of over-centralization and supports the transition to a hybrid model combining centralized and distributed generation, including renewable sources. Using economic analysis, SWOT assessment, and scenario modeling, the study evaluates the resilience and transformation potential of the UES. Particular focus is placed on the challenges of balancing energy affordability, environmental sustainability, and security under conditions of limited investment resources. The conclusions emphasize the need for decentralization, smart grid implementation, energy storage systems, and renewable energy development to improve adaptability. The practical significance lies in recommendations for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine’s energy system, supporting modernization and European integration, while balancing the security benefits of decentralization with the economic advantages of concentrated generation. In addition, the article highlights the importance of institutional capacity-building, cross-border synchronization protocols, and digital infrastructure upgrades as prerequisites for long-term resilience. The findings may be of interest to policymakers, energy experts, and international donors engaged in Ukraine’s recovery and strategic planning.
References
Соколовський А. М. Історія електрифікації України у 1920–1930-х роках. Український історичний журнал. 2008. № 2. С. 67–80.
Білявський О. О. Інтеграція енергосистеми України в ENTSO-E: виклики та ризики. Енергетика: економіка, технології, екологія. 2020. № 1 (60). С. 24–29.
Україна та ENTSO-E: як забезпечити сталу інтеграцію : аналітична записка. Київ : DiXi Group, 2021. 34 с.
Грушецький А. І., Єрмілов С. О. Реформа ринку електроенергії в Україні: уроки та перспективи. Енергетичні виклики для України : зб. наук. пр. Київ : НІСД, 2020. С. 74–87.
Haglund M. Ukraine’s Synchronisation with ENTSO-E: Technical and Political Aspects. Energy Community Secretariat Reports. Vienna, 2022. 18 p.
Henderson K., Velychko O. Ukraine’s Grid Resilience and Integration into the European Electricity Market. In: Energy Security and Resilience in Eastern Europe. Cham : Springer, 2023. P. 115–138.
Білак С. В. Потенціал гнучкості в енергосистемі України в умовах зростання частки ВДЕ. Відновлювана енергетика. 2022. № 3. С. 41–50.
Berkhoff, K. C. Harvest of Despair: Life and Death in Ukraine under Nazi Rule. Cambridge, MA : Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2004. 463 p.
Держкомстат УРСР. Народне господарство Української РСР у 1980 році: статистичний щорічник. Київ : Фінанси і статистика, 1981. С. 245–252.
Держкомстат УРСР. Народне господарство Української РСР у 1989 році: статистичний щорічник. Київ : Техніка, 1990. С. 215–223.
Державна служба статистики України. Динамічні ряди показників енергетичних балансів за 1990–2020 роки. URL: https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/
Всеукраїнська енергетична асамблея. Динаміка і структура споживання електроенергії в Україні. URL: https://uaea.com.ua/dysp/ee-cons.html?utm_source=perplexity
Інститут загальної енергетики НАН України. Прогноз розвитку енергетики України до 2035 року. URL: https://ienergy.org.ua/?utm_source=perplexity
Ukrainian power system is fully synchronised with the European power network ENTSO-E. URL: https://ua.energy/media-2/ukrainian-power-system-is-fully-synchronised-with-the-european-power-network-entso-e/
Sokolovskyi A. M. (2008) Istoriia elektryfikatsii Ukrainy u 1920–1930-kh rokakh [History of Electrification of Ukraine in the 1920s–1930s]. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal – Ukrainian Historical Journal, no. 2, pp. 67–80. (in Ukrainian)
Bilyavskyi O. O. (2020) Intehratsiia enerhosystemy Ukrainy v ENTSO-E: vyklyky ta ryzyky [Integration of Ukraine’s Power System into ENTSO-E: Challenges and Risks]. Enerhetyka: ekonomika, tekhnolohii, ekolohiia – Energy: Economics, Technologies, Ecology, no. 1(60), pp. 24–29. (in Ukrainian)
DiXi Group (2021) Ukraina ta ENTSO-E: yak zabezpechyty stalu intehratsiiu: Analitychna zapyska [Ukraine and ENTSO-E: How to Ensure Sustainable Integration: Analytical Note]. Kyiv: DiXi Group. (in Ukrainian)
Hrushetskyi A. I., Yermilov S. O. (2020) Reforma rynku elektroenerhii v Ukraini: uroky ta perspektyvy [Electricity Market Reform in Ukraine: Lessons and Prospects]. In: Enerhetychni vyklyky dlia Ukrainy: zbirnyk naukovykh prats [Energy Challenges for Ukraine: Collection of Scientific Papers]. Kyiv: NISD, pp. 74–87. (in Ukrainian)
Haglund M. (2022) Ukraine’s Synchronisation with ENTSO-E: Technical and Political Aspects. Energy Community Secretariat Reports. Vienna.
Henderson K., Velychko O. (2023) Ukraine’s Grid Resilience and Integration into the European Electricity Market. In: Energy Security and Resilience in Eastern Europe. Cham: Springer, pp. 115–138.
Bilak S. V. (2022) Potentsial hnuchkosti v enerhosystemi Ukrainy v umovakh zrostannia chastky VDE [Flexibility Potential in Ukraine’s Power System under Increasing Share of RES]. Vidnovliuvana enerhetyka – Renewable Energy, no. 3, pp. 41–50. (in Ukrainian)
Berkhoff, K. C. (2004). Harvest of despair: Life and death in Ukraine under Nazi rule. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Derzhkomstat URSR (1981) Narodne hospodarstvo Ukrainskoi RSR u 1980 rotsi: statystychnyi shchorichnyk [National Economy of the Ukrainian SSR in 1980: Statistical Yearbook]. Kyiv: Finansy i statystyka, pp. 245–252. (in Ukrainian)
Derzhkomstat URSR (1990) Narodne hospodarstvo Ukrainskoi RSR u 1989 rotsi: statystychnyi shchorichnyk [National Economy of the Ukrainian SSR in 1989: Statistical Yearbook]. Kyiv: Tekhnika, pp. 215–223. (in Ukrainian)
State Statistics Service of Ukraine (2025) Dynamichni riady pokaznykiv enerhetychnykh balansiv za 1990–2020 roky [Dynamic Series of Energy Balance Indicators for 1990–2020]. Available at: https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/ (in Ukrainian)
Vseukrainska Enerhetychna Asambleia (2025) Dynamika i struktura spozhyvannia elektroenergii v Ukraini [Dynamics and Structure of Electricity Consumption in Ukraine]. Available at: https://uaea.com.ua/dysp/ee-cons.html?utm_source=perplexity. (in Ukrainian)
Institute of General Energy of NAS of Ukraine (2025) Prohnoz rozvytku enerhetyky Ukrainy do 2035 roku [Forecast of Ukraine’s Energy Development until 2035]. Available at: https://ienergy.org.ua/?utm_source=perplexity. (in Ukrainian)
Ukrainian power system is fully synchronised with the European power network ENTSO-E (2025). Available at: https://ua.energy/media-2/ukrainian-power-system-is-fully-synchronised-with-the-european-power-network-entso-e/
