Zelenskyy shares Ukraine's plans to build up 1 gigawatt of power generation by winter

Ukraine has a plan to build up to 1 gigawatt of manoeuvrable gas generation capacity this year and another 4 gigawatts in the coming years.

In his speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, President Volodymyr Zelenskyyoutlined the consequences of Russian air attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

"As a result of Russian missile and drone strikes, 9 gigawatts of power have already been destroyed, despite the fact that the peak energy consumption in Ukraine last winter was 18 gigawatts. So, half of it doesn't exist anymore.

What are 9 gigawatts? Berlin has about 2 gigawatts of demand. Munich has about 3 gigawatts. We have already lost many times more generation than the energy consumption of large cities. 80% of thermal generation in Ukraine and a third of hydro generation were simply destroyed by Putin. And this is not the limit of his terror, unfortunately," Zelenskyy said.

He called on Ukraine’s partners to help with the energy recovery and to do "everything possible and impossible to preserve the existing generation and restore what was lost to the maximum extent possible".

"In the shorter term, we must also implement a quick and inexpensive restoration of all power facilities that can be restored by winter. This is so important – by winter, over the next three to four months. We know how to ensure this. We are asking you to provide equipment from your shutdown power plants, as well as direct financial support. This will allow us to respond to the situation here and now," he added.

Zelenskyy said another element was highly efficient decentralised manoeuvrable gas generation, which would solve the energy shortage today.

"It is in this area that European and, in particular, German companies are technological leaders, it is in this area that we have a clear plan to build up to 1 gigawatt of capacity this year... and another 4 gigawatts in the coming years," Zelenskyy said.

"It is in this area that we are signing the first contracts within the framework of our conference. This is why we need your maximum leadership, first of all for export credit financing of projects, as well as your expertise and real-life experience," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also thanked Germany for the assistance already provided to strengthen air defence, but reiterated that Ukraine needs seven more Patriot systems. 

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Ukraine would receive new air defence equipment, including one Patriot air defence system, as well as missiles and ammunition in the coming "weeks and months".