Chortkiv, a small city with big aspirations for the green transition!

Article from our new ukrainian member


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Author

Oleksander Karpenko

Publication date

April 25, 2023

Back in 2018, the Chortkiv City Council initiated its green transition, signing a memorandum with the international non-profit organization 350.org, to fully transition to alternative energy sources by 2050, encouraged by the 2030 Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan for decarbonization. Russia’s war against Ukraine forced us to adjust our pace and resource provision, but it did not stop us on this path.

Chortkiv mayor Volodymyr Shmatko strives to establish connections with new cities within the European Union, with international cooperation relying on common goals to improve decarbonization and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

In the summer of 2022, our municipal company “Local Economic Development Agency” of the Chortkiv City Council was actively negotiating with our Swiss colleagues Stefan Dörig (TIKO Energy Solutions) and Noah Heynen (CEO Helion Energy AG) regarding free equipment shipping in order to install solar panels for the city’s hospital, which serves 300,000 people. As a result, we received 56 new solar panels, with a total capacity of 21 kW and 7 inverters. Finally, on April 19, 2023, the first municipal rooftop solar power plant was connected to the internal power grid of the city community hospital!

We are sincerely grateful to our donors for their support and, most of all, for their trust! We are proud of the fact that we did not let our partners down and fulfilled our part of the agreements regarding the equipment’s intended use, as well as the independent installation and connection of the power station. Thanks to these efforts, we expect to generate 22000 kWh annually and save UAH 150000 a year, that can be directed to social support of community residents and energy saving.

Considering all the threats of war and the loss of Ukraine’s energy system, autonomous energy generation and decentralized energy consumption is our way to survival and ensuring the operation of critical infrastructure, protecting the social sphere, and guaranteeing a normal life for the families in our community.

We call on our potential donors, partners, and friends to support us in further developing this important initiative! If you have the needed equipment for our green transition –solar panels, hybrid inverters or energy storages– help us continue to fight for an energy-efficient future for our children. We promise mutually beneficial cooperation and invite you to visit our city!