DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, and Fluence Energy, a global energy storage company, have announced the early start of commissioning for Ukraine's largest battery energy storage project with 200 megawatts (MW) of connected power.
Did Ukraine get a loan to build a battery energy storage complex?
Solar panels of a rooftop in Kyiv, Ukraine. March 2, 2023. (Julia Kochetova/Bloomberg via Getty Images) This audio is created with AI assistance Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK secured a $72-million loan to build one of the largest battery energy storage complexes in Eastern Europe, the company said on June 3.
The €140 million total investment aims to enhance power grid stability, bolstering Ukraine's energy security and independence. The project will be the biggest operational energy storage portfolio in Eastern Europe at the time of commissioning.
Ukraine's second most profitable bank, state-owned Oschadbank, state-owned Ukrgasbank, and PUMB will provide the funding for the project, which includes six energy storage installations across the country, totaling 200 megawatts to power 600,000 households.
Is DTEK the largest private investment in Ukraine's energy sector?
It marked the largest ever private investment in Ukraine's energy sector. Unlike other state-owned energy companies in Ukraine, DTEK hasn't been able to secure funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Kyiv wants to up this to 27% by 2030. Other similar energy storage systems in Eastern Europe include Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid's 200-MW units launched in 2023 and a 55-MW battery energy storage system in Razlog in southwestern Bulgaria that went online in 2024.
Together, they will store up to 400 MWh of electricity – enough to supply two hours of power to 600,000 homes (equivalent to roughly half the households in Kyiv).