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BONN, Germany, May 10, 2006 (Refocus Weekly)
The potential for wind power in Ukraine is 70
million MWh per year, and the country could be completely self
sufficient in electricity generation through the use of renewable
energy sources and increased energy efficiency.
Twenty years after the Chernobyl nuclear incident, “it is obvious
and technologically proven that the world can completely sustain
itself with clean and affordable renewable energy,” says the World
Wind Energy Association. Germany, Denmark, Spain and India are
demonstrating that wind can contribute to a large share of their
electricity demands, with Denmark suppling 20% of the national
electrical demand from wind turbines.
“Worldwide, wind energy is the fastest growing energy source in the
world and capable of meeting the entire electricity demand,” says
WWEA president Anil Kane. “Together with other renewable energies,
like hydropower, geothermal energy, solar and biomass, wind energy
can completely replace dangerous and polluting energy sources.”
“Renewable energies can rid nations of their dependence on
increasingly expensive imported fossil and nuclear energy sources
like oil, gas, coal, or uranium,” and he adds that wind energy
creates jobs, with 1,400 jobs in the sector in Ukraine. Around the
world, 235,000 people are employed in wind energy.
“Ukraine has huge reserves of renewable energy and, in particular,
the share of wind power produced electricity in the system could
reach 20% by 2020,” explains Andrej Konechenkov of the Renewable
Energy Agency, Ukraine. “Twenty-three facilities, which were
formerly military production complexes, are involved in the
production of wind turbine components.”
The development of wind energy is being undertaken within the
framework of a comprehensive program for windfarms in Ukraine, but
the WWEA says the country’s recently-approved energy strategy is a
document “without a sound economic and technical rationalization.”
The plan to construct 22 new reactors and to meet demand for power
and heating through increased nuclear production would result in an
economic and environmental crisis in Ukraine.
“There is a huge capacity for more energy efficiency in Ukraine, and
this initiative would work directly against that,” says Konechenkov.
“We should, instead, invest the funds into financially and
environmentally sound technologies, as developed countries do.
Ukraine would then become a very European country with a bright
future for generations to come.”
“The time has come to switch completely to renewable energy,” adds
Stefan Gsänger of WWEA. “More and more governments understand the
need for such a shift, and wind energy will be the locomotive in
this drive.”
“It is important to create the necessary political frameworks which
are reliable enough for investment into new generation units, based
on renewable energy,” he explains. “With this, mankind can avoid
that a second Chernobyl disaster happens. Besides, proliferation of
wind energy and renewable energy technology has no negative side
effects, but enhances in general human development.”
WWEA represents the wind sector in 80 countries.
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