War, RES, and Digitalization: How Technology Is Shaping the Future of Ukraine's Energy Sector

The full-scale war has transformed how we think about energy — its role in resilience, economic growth, and national security. This transformation stems not only from repeated Russian attacks on critical infrastructure but also from the global acceleration of new energy technologies.

As a result, the industry is evolving far beyond traditional models, with energy companies rebuilding and scaling success around innovation, adaptability, and data.

These themes were central to a panel discussion featuring senior leaders from Elementum Energy and MODUS X during the Mind WinTech Summit 2025.

Valentyn Vyntu, Chief Data Officer at MODUS X: "Wartime energy systems require rapid and effective solutions — and digitalization is at the heart of that. Despite the growing presence of AI, there’s no need to fear a ‘rise of the machines.’ Instead, AI enables greater resilience and efficiency in extremely volatile conditions. That’s its true value."

The Key Drivers of Ukraine’s Energy Digital Transformation

Digitalization and automation — powered by data, analytics, and artificial intelligence — are the main drivers for optimizing energy operations. At MODUS X, we focus heavily on these areas to improve resilience and performance for large-scale enterprises.

We work closely with DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy holding. The biggest challenge for any of our energy projects? Scale. From digital twins to AI-based forecasting, our solutions must perform reliably across vast, complex infrastructures — often in real-time, and under pressure.

Sector-Specific Tech Requires Sector-Specific Expertise

Energy is not monolithic. What works for renewables won’t necessarily work for fossil fuels or upstream oil & gas. That’s why MODUS X delivers cross-sector solutions — customized for thermal generation, solar & wind, extraction, and beyond.

We’re also working with seismological data, supply chain logistics, consumption modeling, and predictive maintenance. Many of these cases require deep technical expertise.

"We always bring in subject matter experts — people who truly understand how specific generation assets and trading mechanisms work. Without them, meaningful digital transformation simply isn’t possible," says Valentyn Vyntu.

Is Ukraine Behind Europe? Not Anymore.

"Ukraine is not lagging behind the EU technologically — not in terms of IT teams, not in terms of what our energy companies can deliver. In fact, many European colleagues are genuinely impressed by what we’re able to implement under wartime conditions," says Valentyn.

For instance, MODUS X’s forecasting models for solar and wind generation outperform many Western benchmarks, making global expansion a logical next step.

Maksym Artemenko, Business Development Director at Elementum Energy: "Renewable energy sources are stochastic by nature. The more precisely you can forecast and control how that generation behaves, the more margin you can extract from your business. And it’s margin that drives long-term sustainability."

War Changed the Game for RES and Data-Driven Investments

Before February 24, 2022, Ukraine’s energy sector had little pressure to adopt digital tools. Many RES investors were satisfied with fixed returns. But the war disrupted everything — and digital innovation became essential.

Companies began actively investing in analytics, forecasting, and digital infrastructure. The result? A fast-moving transformation to a new operating model.

Real Case: Storage Systems + AI + Wind

Elementum Energy plans to install Ukraine’s first industrial-scale energy storage system (ESS) co-located with a wind farm.

"Our biggest challenge isn’t the battery or the engineering. It’s developing an IT solution that can integrate the wind park and ESS with day-ahead, intraday, and balancing markets — and do so dynamically, in real-time," says Artemenko.

Ideally, this should be an automated AI-driven system, consolidating everything from domestic pricing to cross-border flows affecting Ukraine’s market exposure.

What’s Holding the Market Back?

Despite the tech progress, three regulatory barriers slow RES development:

1. No legal mechanism for negative prices in the energy market (a common feature in the EU, especially on weekends);
2. Lack of regulatory flexibility from the national energy regulator (NEURC);
3. Underdeveloped financial markets (e.g. no electricity derivatives for proper hedging).

A Market Moving from Monopoly to Real Competition

Ten years ago, the energy sector in Ukraine was dominated by state-owned giants. Today, RES is a competitive and decentralized market. Even the biggest players — like Elementum Energy — hold less than 10% market share.

"The RES sector is growing, and it’s completely de-monopolized. More players = more efficiency. That’s a healthy dynamic," notes Artemenko.

The MODUS X Takeaway

The future of Ukrainian energy will be green, decentralized, and digital. Artificial intelligence and automation are no longer futuristic buzzwords — they’re what make complex systems work, especially in extreme conditions.

At MODUS X, we believe digitalization isn’t just a project — it’s a new language for managing infrastructure, risk, and resilience.

🔗 Original source: mind.ua/publications/20288527