Balancing Ukraine’s energy system: challenges under high renewable energy penetration and the COVID-19 pandemic

¹ Sumy State University, International Economic Relations Department, 2 Rimsky-Korsakov Str., Sumy, 40000, Ukraine
² Sumy State University, Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship and Business Administration, 2 Rimsky-Korsakov Str., Sumy, 40000, Ukraine
³ International Humanitarian University, Economics and International Economic Relations Department, 33 Fountain Road Str., Odessa, 65000, Ukraine
⁴ Michigan Technological University, Department of Social Sciences, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, United States
⁵ Xi’an Peihua University, School of Accounting and Finance, 888 Changing str., Shaanxi, China

^* Corresponding author: t.kurbatova@macro.sumdu.edu.ua

Abstract

The paper deals with the problems of balancing the United Energy System of Ukraine caused by high renewable energy penetration and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy sector. The paper analyses the trends in renewable energy development, the dynamics and structure of electricity consumption and export in pre-epidemic and epidemic periods and identifies the main challenges to operational security of the United Energy System of Ukraine. The methodical approach to improve the methodology for estimation of country’s energy security level by considering the index of developing capacities for balancing the United Energy System of Ukraine is suggested. In addition, proposals have been made to reduce threats to the stable work of the United Energy System of Ukraine by putting into operation of energy storage capacities, promoting the development of мaneuvering renewable energy capacities, and implementation of other appropriate measures in this field.