Transition of Ukraine in the nearest decades mainly to the innovative model of development of economy must be accompanied by introduction of energy conservation technologies, reduction of dependence from the external supply of energy resources and growth of part of renewable energy in general power balance of country.

Technological energy conservation foresees modernization or replacement of present power-consuming technologies, increase of energy effectiveness of industry and communal sector of economy and reduction of technological losses of power resources at transporting of electric power. Conducting of structural energy conservation foresees the structural changes - creation of low level power consuming economy.

What is today’s Ukrainian power engineering?

Nowadays overwhelming part of electric power in Ukraine is produced by nuclear power plants (NPP), thermal power-stations (TPS), and only insignificant part of electric power is produced by the hydroelectric power stations (HPS) and pumped storage hydroelectric power stations (PSHPS).

In that time when the set power of nuclear power plants of Ukraine makes 26,6%, and thermal power-stations accordingly - 57,8%, the generation of electric power in some years is mainly executed on the atomic stations (to 50% from all annual production volume of electric power). Regulation of power is conducted mainly due to the hydroelectric power stations (HPS) and pumped storage hydroelectric power stations (PSHPS). Annual production of electric power by the hydroelectric power stations (HPS) and pumped storage hydroelectric power stations (PSHPS) lies in the limits – 6-7% while the set power of the hydroelectric facilities is 9,1%. In accordance to calculations the hydroelectric power stations must make 15% of all electric power in a balance of power of Ukraine for the optimum providing of regulative functions.

World tendencies to reduction of the green house gases predetermine the necessity of increase of the use of renewable energy sources – the Sun, wind, water resources, geothermal resources, biomass and wastes.

Geographical position of Ukraine, natural climatic factors need special approaches, geographically adapted to the rational use of hydro-, wind- and sun potential. If not to take into account hydro-electrical power engineering, it is possible to consider that Ukraine is found in the beginning of introduction of Renewable energy.

Which are today’s starting positions of Ukrainian renewable power engineering?

a) Hydrotechnical resources of Ukraine. Hydrotechnical potential of river flows of Ukraine is limited. However, the hydrotechnical resources of Ukraine are used only partially, only one half of them are mastered. Nowadays total determined capacity of large HPS of Ukraine equals 4700 MW and has a potential for subsequent growth. Hydro-technical installations of Dniepro HPS cascade – Kyiv, Kaniv, Kremenchuk, Dnieprodzerzhyns`k, Dniepro, Kakhovka hydropower units need completion of reconstruction. The increases of production volumes of electric power are planned also due to introduction during 2010 - 2030 of the new hydroenergetic powers. Under construction is one of the powerful HPSPP in Europe numbering to Dniester cascade with 2856 MW. Under construction are also Tashlyts`k and Kaniv pumped storage hydroelectric power stations.

b) Wind power engineering. By approximate estimation of experts, Ukraine has wind energy potential in 5000 MW. This power can satisfy 15% of all necessity of country in electric power. By the greatest wind energy potential that allows industrial production of wind electric power are marked coast of Black and Azov seas, south bank of Crimea, tops of Ukrainian Carpathians, Crimean mountains, also region of Donbass.

Wind power engineering of Ukraine has a sufficient experience of production, planning, building, exploitation and maintenance of both wind turbines and wind power stations; in a country there is enough high scientific and technical potential and developed production base. But on the beginning of 2008 year the set power of wind power stations of Ukraine was only 89 MW.

c) Solar power engineering. Because of sufficient quantity of clear days that are characteristic for south regions and Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine has large prospects for development of sun energy. Sun energy would partly decide the power problems of Ukraine by supplying the energy for the remote settlements of the country that were not electrified. The systems of sun batteries with chemical accumulators are economic and suitable for the feed of apparatus in the conditions of absence of network of central energy supply, and also in the conditions when creating and using of the network of central energy supply are unprofitably or dangerously for the health of man. Ukraine has the proper manufacturing possibilities for production of necessary components of solar power engineering, which allow conducting the complete technological cycle of creation of sun elements. Ukraine also has highly skilled scientific and engineering potential in this industry.

d) Each of directions of renewable power engineering has the advantages and failing. But in the overwhelming amount of cases the systems of renewable power engineering are most effective, when they are based on integration of the few technologies, for example, wind technology and water flow technology, wind technology and photovoltaic technology. The concentrating photovoltaic systems, beside of production of electrical energy, can be used for production of hydrogen from water at achievement of temperature in focus of optical concentrator more than 1700 °C.

At planning of development of renewable power engineering of the Ukraine it is necessary to use experience of other countries, which are found in the forefront of the use of new power technologies and equipment, to get advantages of country, that begins with a clean sheet, but leans against world achievements.

For implementation of the outlined tasks it is necessary to carry out the following measures:

1. Conducting of research works in the key trends of development of national renewable power engineering with involvement of university science, leading research organizations and enterprises of power industry.

2. The determination of pilot projects of renewable power engineering for introduction.

3. The creation of conditions for the investment attractiveness of objects of renewable energy. The development and legislative fixing of the system of state support of development of renewable power engineering.

4. Preparation of skilled personnel for the necessities of development of renewable power engineering.

5. The creation of competitive domestic production of components and equipment of renewable power engineering. The introduction of renewable power engineering is effective only in the case of organization of national domestic production of power equipment, of course, at the use of world technologies. In other case, if introduction of high-cost generating powers will not be accompanied by creation of new workplaces for highly skilled workers, and also mastering of innovative technologies, the creation of new power installations will grow into unjustified capital investments, uncovered even in a distant prospect.

From that point of view the development of renewable power engineering must to correspond as inalienable component part of structural alteration of all economy, beginning from preparation of skilled personnel, conducting of research works, creation of competitive productions, concluding by creation of infrastructural generating powers and electrical networks.

6. Providing of scientific-technological accompaniment of projects of renewable power engineering. Creation of the National Laboratory of Renewable Energy (NLRE) within the framework of Ministry of Fuel and Power Engineering of Ukraine. To power industry specific features are inherent that are related to the extraordinarily complicated technological cycle of energy production, to the necessity of organization of operative-technological management, providing of reliable and safe functioning of equipment. All these factors determine renewable industry as intellectual and with a long investment cycle. Thus intellectual potential, level of scientific developments, the use of high technologies have a determining influence on the development of fuel and energy complex and also on the state on the whole. Therefore providing of support by science of power engineering as a fundamental basis of all economy, providing of scientific-technological accompaniment of technical projects and programs in the field of renewable and alternative energy become a key factor and need the creation of the National Laboratory of Renewable Energy (NLRE) - research and introduction organization, whose activity is coordinated by Ministry of Fuel and Power Engineering of Ukraine.

The National Laboratory of Renewable Energy (NLRE) summarizes practice of conducting of scientific and technical developments in the field of untraditional and renewable energy; executes scientific researches of key technological problems in industries of renewable energy, which allow to perfect considerably the existent standards of power generation technologies and equipment, and focuses on acceleration of putting to the market of energy effective technologies and equipment of new generations.

Timely realization of the above enumerated measures will allow multiplying part of the energy got with the use of alternative and renewable energy sources in general balance of demand and supply of power resources.

The Technopark QUELTA (situated in Nizhyn, Ukraine) is conducting the applied researches in the following leading themes of energy sciences within the frame of the Ukraine’s Renewable Power Engineering Program: Renewable Wind and Hydropower Engineering (WHPE) Program, Quantum-Electronic (Solar) Power Engineering (QEPE) Program and Next Generation Molecular Power Engineering (NGMPE) Program.

Written by Vasil Sidorov on March 08, 2010 in queltanews.com

sidorovvasil@gmail.com