On July 9, Rome hosted a side event of the official URC 2025 program dedicated to Ukraine’s European integration and its role in implementing the EU’s Clean Industrial Agreement. DiXi Group and the Florence School of Regulation organized the event.
Ukrainian and European experts discussed sectors, technologies, and specific steps that will help Ukraine on its path to EU accession. They also discussed how the country’s post-war recovery will increase the competitiveness of the entire European bloc.
After the war ends, Ukraine must prosper, so we need to start thinking now about how to develop a productivity growth strategy to determine the path to this progress, said DiXi Group President Olena Pavlenko in her opening remarks.
“Once it becomes a member of the EU in a few years, Ukraine will have to fully comply with all European policies and achieve common European goals. That is why we are already discussing which projects, ideas, and sectors can help Ukraine become a full-fledged member of the European Union, benefiting not only our country but also the entire European Union”, notes Olena Pavlenko.
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“Cicero believed that turbulent times offer great opportunities, and this is evident in Ukraine today. Despite enormous challenges, they are implementing innovations and inspiring others. By helping Ukraine, the EU is actually helping itself to become more competitive and innovative”, said Leonardo Meeus, co-organizer of the event and director of the Florence School of Regulation, in his opening remarks.
The country must be rebuilt according to the principle of “Build back better”, that is, better than it was before, says Julia Robinson, energy policy lead at the British Embassy in Ukraine.
“When we talk about rebuilding Ukraine, we don’t mean replacing what has been lost with something similar. We are talking about rebuilding using the latest, most efficient, and most environmentally friendly technologies, as well as people-centered practices. The UK has supported Ukraine’s National Energy and Climate Plan, which was approved in record time and in line with the highest standards. This demonstrates Ukraine’s commitment to a greener future. I would like to thank DiXi Group and the Florence School of Regulation for this event, which puts Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic future at the center of the discussion”, said Julia Robinson.
Panel 1
“Gas sector integration for better prices to consumers and strengthened energy security”
Gas will play a decisive role in the EU’s path to decarbonization, which is one of the three key elements of the Action Plan for Affordable Energy under the Clean Industrial Deal.
Ukraine has the potential to become a key player in the regional gas market. This will help meet the demand for blue fuel in Central and Eastern Europe, where consumption will grow due to energy transformation, unlike in Western Europe. The increase could reach 40% by 2030 compared to current levels, as stated by Aura Sabadus, Energy and cross-commodity expert, ICIS.
“The best solution for this region is for consumers to have access to different sources of supply, which will indirectly promote competition and lower prices. And this vision can be realized in the near future if Ukraine becomes a key market for the region for gas transit from west to southeast, from north to south. Ukraine’s fast transportation and storage infrastructure is the best for balancing regional markets and ensuring supply for all neighboring countries”, Sabadus said.
Despite the region’s potential, two barriers could hinder this: excessively high transit tariffs (especially in Romania and Moldova) and market fragmentation due to overregulation and state intervention, the expert notes. Overcoming these barriers requires coordinated rules, transparency, and a common integration strategy within the EU.
Creating a gas reserve will strengthen the energy security of the EU’s gas sector, enhance its energy security and market stability, as we have resources in both the transportation and storage of blue fuel.
“Ukraine has a huge infrastructure capable of transporting 149 billion cubic meters of gas and 30 billion cubic meters of underground storage capacity. This infrastructure must be used in an economically efficient manner, loading new resources via new supply routes such as Trans-Balkan, from the Adriatic, Norway, and LNG”, emphasized Mykola Kolisnyk, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.
25 billion cubic meters of the 30 available capacities are located in western Ukraine. Ukraine’s extensive gas transportation system and throughput capacity, namely to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania, is 235 million cubic meters per day. This can ensure the effective redistribution of gas flows, reducing the risk of supply disruptions during cold spells and peak loads, said Roman Malutin, CEO of Ukrtransgas, in his speech.
“We offer our non-resident customers 10 billion cubic meters of gas for storage in Ukraine. These volumes can be used not only for commercial purposes, but also to create strategic reserves for the European Union in light of the ongoing energy crisis and war. We can start talking about this now because the process of developing rules, regulations, and finding funding is underway. It is a long road, but it is important to understand that we have the technical capabilities”, – says the CEO of Ukrtransgas.
Ukraine’s significant gas storage capacity, which is twice that of Italy, makes it a strategic reserve for Europe, emphasized Clara Poletti, ARERA Commissioner and Chair of the ACER Board of Regulators, and offered advice from a regulatory perspective.
“Harmonization of regulatory acts is a key factor for true market integration, and transparent and predictable regulation is particularly important in high-risk environments, and I believe this applies to Ukraine as well. We often focus on infrastructure, and its development is undoubtedly a challenge. However, the interest of the market and investors in investing in infrastructure, as well as market participants who use it, actually depends on the overall regulatory framework”, said Clara Poletti.
Panel 2
“Discovering Ukraine’s renewable energy and manufacturing potential for Europe’s energy transition”
In addition to gas infrastructure, Ukraine also has potential in the field of renewable energy – solar, wind power, and the production of biomethane and hydrogen. Thanks to our natural resources, geographical location, and infrastructure, we can become a key supplier of green energy to the EU.
Strengthening cooperation between the EU and Ukraine in the field of renewable energy not only supports the member states’ decarbonization agenda, but also enhances regional energy security and economic stability (the potential for biomethane production is estimated at 20 billion cubic meters per year).
“Ukraine can become part of our efforts to strengthen European resilience by providing growing volumes of renewable energy. Thus, from an energy security perspective, I believe that even now, focusing on renewable gases is sensible, because during wartime, diverse energy sources such as renewable electricity or renewable gases are more resilient to shelling”, said former EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, who played a key role in synchronizing Ukraine’s energy system with the European ENTSO-E network at the start of the large-scale Russian invasion.
Our country, adds Andrii Teliupa, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, could become part of the EU’s solution to achieving the goal set out in the Net Zero Industry Act — to produce 40% of zero-emission technologies within the EU.
“Ukraine has the largest reserves of titanium and uranium in Europe, as well as a significant amount of lithium reserves, and we are among the top five countries in the world in terms of graphite reserves. These are necessary for future batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. So, we have the materials. The European Commission has recognized this by granting Ukraine the status of a strategic supplier of graphite, and so we are really moving forward with transparent work and licenses for all our raw materials, not just to supply other countries with raw materials, but to have domestic production in Ukraine”, – emphasized the Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
Ukraine has committed to decarbonizing 70% of its economy by 2050 and increasing the share of renewable energy to 25% by 2030, bringing it closer to European climate goals.
The war has shown that renewable energy is not only stable but also resilient: decentralized solar and wind power stations help maintain critical infrastructure even under fire. At the same time, D.Trading CEO Dmytro Sakharuk, representing Ukrainian business on the panel, noted that the obstacle for them is not technology or money, but stability.
“It’s all about how predictable and reliable government policy is for a certain period of time, not just a year or two, but more like five years, because these are all long-term projects. And I think you can add the rule of law to that, because at the end of the day, if something gets broken, you have to defend it in court. We are moving slowly now, but we are moving in the right direction, although, of course, we would like to move faster,” says the CEO of D.Trading.
Energy will determine Ukraine’s economic future, and that is why American companies are actively exploring investment opportunities in all its segments – from traditional generation to renewable sources and critical minerals, says the former US ambassador to Ukraine, emphasized Geoffrey Pyatt, Senior Managing Director for Energy and Critical Minerals at McLarty Associates.
“We have a very large American corporate delegation at this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference, representing all sectors: agriculture, energy, critical minerals extraction, and a number of leading companies exploring opportunities in this sector. I can’t say when the war will end, but I am confident that when it does, the most important sector that will determine Ukraine’s future economic success will be energy. I know that American companies are very eager to be part of this story, and I expect them to push our government in this direction. And I certainly will too”, said Geoffrey Pyatt.
Panel 3
“Nuclear energy for a strengthened Europe”
The Minister of Energy of Ukraine, German Galushchenko, participated in the third panel, which was devoted to nuclear energy.
The Head of the Ministry emphasized that global demand for electricity will only grow in the future. And nuclear energy is the only way to meet this demand. It is no coincidence that leading companies are investing in it, the minister notes, adding that nuclear power generation is vital for Ukraine. It provides up to 60% of all electricity during peak consumption hours.
“Ukraine plans to increase its capacity in both nuclear energy and renewable energy sources. After all, energy is the first thing that will kickstart the country’s recovery,” said German Galushchenko.
He also reminded that nuclear energy plays a decisive role in achieving global zero greenhouse gas emissions. This is evidenced by the #COP28 declaration on the need to triple its capacity by 2050. This commitment was supported by more than 20 countries, including ours. Herman Halushchenko places particular emphasis on the need to return the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which is under temporary Russian occupation, to legitimate Ukrainian control.
Ukraine’s nuclear potential, as well as its experience not only in operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) but also in managing them in crisis situations, demonstrates that Ukraine can play a key role in the development of safe and sustainable nuclear energy in Europe, said Hartmut Jacob, Acting Executive Board Member of Energoatom, in his speech. He said that despite the occupation of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the company managed to restore its pre-war financial performance. And it is precisely in crisis management that Ukraine can help new EU member states.
“Currently, nine reactors produce 50 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. If you look at these figures, you will see that we are trying to get as much as possible from these units. Thus, if you take them separately, they are now producing more than in previous periods when separation was still possible”, Jacob said.
In Europe, nuclear power capacity of 100 GW provides 24% of the European Union’s electricity. At the same time, capacity will increase to 141-150 GW by 2050, according to Emmanuel Brutin, Director General of Nuclear Europe. According to the expert, Ukraine can offer its European colleagues technology exchange and Ukrainian experience in diversifying fuel supply sources.
“Like Ukraine, we are making significant progress in finding alternatives to Russian uranium. This is, of course, a process that takes time, as fuel needs to be licensed, but I think we can exchange a lot with our Ukrainian colleagues and also benefit from their experience in this area. What is also very important is that in the coming years, and this applies to both Ukraine and the EU, we will need to significantly increase our nuclear fuel enrichment capacity so that we can also produce this fuel in Europe”, said Emmanuel Brutin.
Ukraine has successfully transitioned from Russian nuclear fuel to alternative sources, in particular through cooperation with Westinghouse. This experience is valuable for EU countries that operate Soviet reactors as an example of effective diversification of supply chains. But in addition to diversification, Dan Lipman President, Energy Systems at Westinghouse, emphasizes Ukraine’s potential in the regional European supply chain for nuclear energy.
“When I look at Central and Eastern Europe, we at Westinghouse follow a process we call ‘buy where we build’. That is, wherever we export a nuclear reactor, we always look for local sources of production, engineering, components, etc. We see Europe as a regional supply chain that provides engineering services for the production of nuclear components to each other, and Ukraine plays a very important role in this”, Lipman said.
All conference participants agreed on Ukraine’s undeniable potential in the gas transportation system, renewable energy supply, and nuclear energy sector as part of Europe as a whole. However, it is important to start working now so as not to waste time on planning after joining the European Union.
Based on the results of side event #URC2025, experts from DiXi Group and FSR will prepare a separate report. Follow the DiXi Group website for updates.
The event was held as part of a project by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, acting through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) “Implementation of Ukraine’s National Energy and Climate Plan and Establishment of the Green Economic Transition Office” and with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the project “Improving Tomorrow’s Energy Security.”
Source: DiXi Group
