On March 24, the deputies of Mena City Council approved the Concept for the community’s transition to renewable energy sources by 2050. This demonstrates that the Mena community recognizes that change is not merely desirable, but necessary.
This decision represents a remarkable achievement for a Ukrainian community located in the Chernihiv region, just 50 kilometers from the Russian border. The Mena community suffered significant damage as a result of Russia’s full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, with parts of its territory under occupation during the early stages of the invasion in 2022. Throughout this conflict, the energy sector became one of the main targets of attacks due to its strategic importance for the economy and public welfare.
The destruction of energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv region led to disruptions in electricity, heating, and other utility services, severely impacting residents, social services, and halting the operation of critical enterprises and institutions. Despite these hardships and the constant threat of missile attacks on critical infrastructure, the community is taking bold steps toward building a sustainable, resilient future.
To appreciate the significance of this decision, it’s important to understand that many Ukrainian communities currently operate in survival mode, focusing primarily on immediate recovery and basic needs. The Mena community’s forward-thinking approach—planning decades ahead while still dealing with the immediate consequences of war—demonstrates extraordinary resilience and commitment to sustainable development principles even under the most challenging circumstances.
In 2024, the RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation developed the Concept for transitioning the Mena community to renewable energy sources by 2050. This document provides a step-by-step plan for eliminating fossil fuel dependence. Analysis showed that the community currently has a high dependence on natural gas (68% of its energy consumption) and significant financial expenditure on energy resources. At the same time, the community has great potential for renewable energy development: favorable conditions for solar and wind energy, and opportunities for bioenergy and small hydropower development.
This Concept takes into account almost everything: Ukrainian legislation, the community’s microclimate, its economic potential, geographical features, and more. All this allowed experts to offer the community solutions on how to effectively use their resources to meet their needs while transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The community has been offered two scenarios for transitioning to renewable energy sources:
To implement this scenario, the community will need to add approximately 1-1.5 MW of wind power plants, about 2 MW of rooftop solar power plants, biomass or biogas CHP plants with a total capacity of about 0.5 MW, and energy storage systems with a capacity of up to 0.5 MW. The community already has an industrial solar power plant with a capacity of 11 MW.
The Concept not only introduces new technologies but also encourages a new approach to energy use. The plan includes insulating buildings and modernizing equipment to reduce heat loss. It’s also important that community residents understand why this is necessary and learn to save energy in their daily lives. Funding for these projects is planned to come from various sources: international grants, government programs, and private investors.
The city council’s approval of the concept demonstrates the Mena community’s readiness to become an example of energy transformation for other Ukrainian communities, showing that even under difficult wartime conditions, it is both possible and necessary to build sustainable and energy-independent development for the future.
The Concept was developed by the RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Mena Municipal Community and with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany (BMWK).
Details read here: RePower Ukraine