The "RISE Plan" (Resilient Independent Solar Energy) jointly launched by Ukrainian private energy giant DTEK and British clean energy technology leader Octopus Energy Group, with distributed photovoltaics and energy storage as the core, officially begins the energy reconstruction process of this war-torn country. This plan not only carries the urgent need for Ukraine to rebuild green infrastructure, but also heralds a deep transformation of the global energy system towards decentralization and intelligence.
According to United Nations statistics, the war has caused about 70% of Ukraine's thermal power production capacity to be destroyed, exposing the vulnerability of the traditional power grid. In industrial hubs such as Kiev and Kharkiv, companies are facing production stagnation due to frequent power outages, and soaring energy costs and unstable power supply have become the dual shackles of economic recovery. It is precisely against this crisis background that the RISE program was born - by deploying 100 commercial photovoltaic and energy storage integration projects and raising 100 million euros in funding within three years, a flexible and stable "microgrid" was built for Ukrainian industrial and commercial users.
As the main implementation entity of the project, DTEK's subsidiary D. Solutions, which focuses on terminal energy services, will rely on its retail brand YASNO's network of over 60000 industrial and commercial users in Ukraine to complete the full process service from equipment deployment to intelligent operation and maintenance. The annual project development capacity of this local energy service provider has exceeded 30 million euros, and the implementation of the RISE plan will further unleash market potential. According to estimates, the annual installed capacity potential of the Ukrainian industrial and commercial user side energy storage market is 300MW, corresponding to a market value of approximately 200 million euros, which provides a solid foundation for the large-scale promotion of distributed energy.
The Kraken energy operating system, independently developed by Octopus Energy Group, will be validated for the first time in the complex environment of the Ukrainian battlefield. This system uses AI algorithms to achieve real-time energy scheduling and load optimization. It can not only automatically adjust the charging and discharging of energy storage devices according to peak electricity consumption, but also feedback excess electricity to the main grid, greatly improving user revenue. For manufacturing companies in Kiev, this means that photovoltaic power generation is prioritized for production during the day, energy storage devices release electricity at night to meet lighting needs, and in extreme cases, additional income can be obtained through grid feedback.
In the Kharkiv Industrial Zone, the first batch of pilot projects have shown results. The equipment installed during power outages can still maintain the operation of critical machines for 48 hours, avoiding order defaults caused by power outages. This "microgrid+intelligent management" model is reshaping Ukrainian companies' perception of energy security - shifting from passive acceptance of electricity price fluctuations to active control of energy destiny.
DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko emphasized at the project launch that "this is not only the introduction of technology, but also the reconstruction of the energy governance system." Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson sees Ukraine as a "natural laboratory" for testing the efficiency of its energy operating system, believing that the Kraken system's distributed scheduling capabilities will be rigorously validated in the reconstruction environment. This cross-border technology transfer essentially constructs a new collaborative paradigm between developed and developing countries in energy transition.
From a broader perspective, the RISE program carries multiple strategic values. At the economic level, it enhances industrial competitiveness by reducing energy costs for enterprises, injecting vitality into post-war reconstruction; In terms of energy security, distributed architecture effectively avoids the centralized risk of traditional power grids; At the level of transformation, intelligent management systems are driving energy consumption from "passive acceptance" to "active participation", accelerating Ukraine's progress towards its 2050 carbon neutrality goal.
This energy revolution, which began at the London Summit, is writing a new chapter on the ruins of Ukraine. From the commercial center of Kiev to the industrial park on the banks of the Dnieper River, the "energy cell" composed of photovoltaic panels and energy storage batteries is gradually replacing the destroyed thermal power plants caused by war. When every industrial and commercial user becomes a node in the energy network, a more resilient and sustainable green infrastructure system has already taken shape. This not only provides Ukraine with a solution for energy independence, but also sets a typical example for regions around the world facing similar challenges to achieve energy transformation through technological innovation.
