In recent years, the country of Ukraine has found itself in the headlines for unpleasant reasons such as war and fighting. Thus, it is refreshing to learn that the country is back in the news for positive reasons as its onshore wind development (498MW) is expected to become the country’s biggest wind farm. This is a massive stride for Ukraine, which will allow it to produce an immeasurable amount of energy to provide for its citizens.
Ukraine enters the fray: Analyzing the Tyligulska onshore wind farm
It almost seemed as though other European countries were actively participating in major renewable energy projects without Ukraine being in the mix. However, that narrative is now irrelevant after it was revealed that the Tyligulska Wind Power Plant is extremely close to reaching completion. A lot of good things have been said about the organizations at the helm of the project. A domestic company named DTEK, in partnership with Vestas, is responsible for developing the farm. Ukrainian residents were particularly pleased that a domestic company was given the opportunity to spearhead such a monumental project when the easy option was to choose a foreign company that has more experience when it comes to executing a project of such magnitude. However, a smaller part of the population still wished that both corporations involved in the project were Ukrainian.
According to reports, the companies are expected to develop a wind farm that produces an astounding 500 MW of capacity, which is extremely crucial to enhancing Ukraine’s energy security for many decades while eliminating carbon emissions. Initially, there were slight doubts regarding the possibility of the project coming to life. Still, turbine deliveries already began in 2025, meaning the project is set to reach completion in the latter half of 2026.
Achieving a perfect execution: Ukraine’s biggest ever wind farm coming in 2026
Energy projects often require meticulous planning and great attention to detail on paper, but even that is not enough to ensure that the project is executed flawlessly. This is where Vestas and DTEK come in. For instance, Vestas delivered 83 Vestas V162-6.2 MW wind turbines, with 19 being used in the first phase, while 64 are coming in the second phase. The existence of the first and second phases serves as a reiteration that Ukraine has taken time to strategize on the project to deliver its largest ever wind farm.
Supporting local corporations: DTEK’s role in the Tyligulska wind farm
Some Ukrainian citizens may believe that the finances should be used for different reasons other than the wind farm, but the farm is guaranteed to serve those residents, too. DTEK has received an investment well over US$600 million, which is a breathtaking figure, especially considering that Ukraine does not have a track record of investing so heavily without reason. In fact, the investment is the largest private sector investment since the Russian invasion that occurred in 2022.
This could signal a lot of different things for Ukraine, but most notably, it might indicate that the country is ready to move on from heavily investing in the war against Russia. Instead, a large part of the focus is to rebuild the economy and ensure that residents have basic amenities such as electricity.
Looking into the future of Ukraine: The imminent arrival of the Tyligulska wind farm
Many people are heavily anticipating the completion of the farm, considering how many benefits it will have on the population. For instance, the farm will generate about 1.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) of clean electricity annually, which will cater to approximately 900,000 households. This is comparable to the impact that the USA’s onshore wind project might have.
2026 is set to be a truly exciting year in the energy industry because there are a lot of countries that are actively working toward pushing boundaries. With a lot of projects in the works, it will be interesting to assess how all of them pan out in the future.
