ENCO supported Ukrainian cities and municipalities in the development of spatial municipal energy plans (MEPs)

Energy consumption for heat is one of the main sources for CO2 emissions and a crucial factor for the acceleration of climate change. In Ukrainian cities, the heat supply is largely based on imported emission-intensive fossil fuels, while the locally available potential of renewable energy sources and waste heat remains unused. The GIZ mission addresses this deficit and the corresponding potential for improvement..

As part of the overarching project “Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive in Ukraine (FEER)”, which GIZ is implementing with the participation of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), our mission supported strategic energy planning in Ukrainian pilot municipalities. This mandate was already of great importance at the start of project implementation and therefore before the Russian war of aggression. It became increasingly relevant during project implementation since numerous energy generation and distribution capacities were massively impaired by the war. Only half of the generation capacity that existed before the war is still on the grid. This poses massive challenges for the cities. However, this also provides opportunities for a well-structured reconstruction.

The content, which we were able to successfully transfer to numerous Ukrainian cities, is based on the Swiss concept of spatial municipal energy planning. This concept coordinates the local energy demand for heat, the existing heating infrastructure and the identified locally available potential for renewable energies and waste heat in a spatial perspective. The aim of this approach is to be able to develop a sustainable, efficient and independent heat supply strategy on this basis.

Experienced in the development of spatial energy plans and related action plans, ENCO has supported numerous cities and municipalities in Ukraine in the implementation of this spatial methodology. The Swiss approach with a spatial perspective has numerous advantages, including

• a significant reduction in CO2 emissions caused by the heat supply and a contribution to decarbonization and the achievement of local energy targets,
• reduction of import dependency,
• utilization of locally available resources and creation of benefits for local businesses,
• short supply chains and reduction of energy losses,
• supply security.

The spatial focus also facilitates coordination with other departments, in particular with urban planning, building construction, civil engineering and mobility.

The implementation consortium, led by GFA (Hamburg), consisted of international and national experts and combined Swiss expertise with the in-depth knowledge of the Ukrainian partners. As part of the project, an adequate and helpful training and implementation program was developed.