You're reading: Yanukovych signs law on change in rules on renewable energy market in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed law No. 5485-VI, which considerably changes the conditions of operation on the renewable energy market in Ukraine.

Corresponding bill No. 10183 on changes in the law of Ukraine on electricity (in part of incentives for electricity generation from alternative energy sources) was passed by parliament at second reading on November 20, 2012.

The law introduces feed-in tariffs on electricity generated from biogas and components of biodegradable solid household waste. The feed-in tariff coefficient for biogas will be similar to that of biomass – 2.3. The feed-in tariffs will be applicable to companies that are to launch biogas power plants from April 2013.

The document scales feed-in tariffs for hydropower plants depending on their capacity. Thus plants with a capacity of up to 200 kW will be classified as micro-plants and their feed-in tariff coefficient will be 2. The coefficient for mini-plants with the capacity from 200 kW to 1 MW will be 1.6, and small-sized plants with the capacity from 1 MW to 10 MW will have a coefficient of 1.2. The coefficient will be applied to the plants that will be launched from April 2013. The coefficient for those types of hydropower plants launched or to be launched before April 2013 will be 1.2.

The law also suggests a considerable reduction in feed-in tariffs for solar power plants that are to be commissioned from April 2013. The coefficient for ground-based stations will be cut from 4.8 to 3.5, that for roof or wall-mounted ones with a capacity of over 100 kW will decline from 4.6 to 3.6, for roof or wall-mounted ones with a capacity of less than 100 kW will drop from 4.4 to 3.7. A feed-in tariff coefficient for households using solar modules with a capacity of up to 10 kW will be introduced from 2014 at the level of 3.7.

In future, the feed-in tariff coefficient for all types of power plants that use renewable sources of energy will be reduced by 10%, 20% and 30% comparative to the 2013 year’s level if they are commissioned from 2015, 2020 and 2015 respectively.

As reported, the authors of draft law No. 10183 were MPs Mykola Romaniuk, Yulia Liovochkina and Yuriy Miroshnychenko (the Regions Party). During its consideration by parliament, the document has undergone many amendments and addenda.