13.10.2025
Last week, on October 9th, the Energy Club’s international forum, “Balancing Europe’s Energy System: Challenges, Solutions, and Prospects,” took place in Vienna. This event was not just another conference, but a strategic platform for direct and frank dialogue between leading Ukrainian and European players in the energy market. At a time when Ukraine is already part of ENTSO-E and moving towards full market integration, the need for such communication is extremely acute. The main goal of the forum was not only to discuss the technical aspects of balancing but also to give Ukrainian businesses the opportunity to “synchronize their watches” with their European colleagues: to understand where the market is heading, which technologies and regulatory models will define its future, and how to compete effectively in a single European space.
The caliber of the forum was defined by its speakers. We deliberately brought together representatives from all key areas—regulators, market operators, technology giants, investors, and traders—to get a 360-degree view of the market.
The regulatory perspective was outlined by Jasmina Trhulj, Head of the Electricity Unit at the Energy Community Secretariat. Her report focused on the key challenges for Ukraine on its path to full integration and the need to create market conditions for the development of flexibility.
Rafael Gómez-Elvira, Chair of the NEMO Committee, provided a detailed look at the architecture and design of the European market. He explained the logic behind the development of the SDAC and SIDC market coupling and the adaptation of trading rules for the effective operation of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
The investor and consultant viewpoint was presented by Stephen Woodhouse, Director at AFRY Management Consulting. He analyzed the economic aspects of balancing, investment risks for BESS projects, and potential market mechanisms (price caps and floors) to reduce volatility.
The technology block was covered by Victor Kamyshev, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer for Central Europe at GE Vernova. He presented a vision of the future where long-duration storage systems and self-healing grids will play a key role.
Practical experience in integrating large-scale RES projects was shared by Øyvind Vessia, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Ørsted. His presentation was dedicated to the interaction of offshore wind farms with TSO operators and the use of BESS to provide ancillary services.
The trader’s perspective on extreme market volatility was presented by Volodymyr Shvedkyi, CEO of Energy Trade Group LLC. He shared practical approaches to working with BESS assets in a complex market environment.
The future of market algorithms was discussed by Dr. Michael Merz, Managing Director of PONTON GmbH, the company that develops key trading software for European exchanges.
I would like to extend a special thanks to the forum’s moderator, Andriy Kulykov. His professionalism, deep understanding of the industry, and ability to ask sharp questions helped keep the discussion constructive and dynamic.
Today, Ukraine’s integration into the European market is not just a technical connection of grids. It is, first and foremost, a business integration. Ukrainian companies must not only comply with European rules but also understand their logic, see the trends, build trusting relationships with partners, and learn to operate in a highly competitive and volatile price environment. The Vienna forum provided a unique opportunity for such direct communication.
The success of this event is a shared achievement. I sincerely thank all the speakers for their openness and deep expertise. I thank the participants—representatives of Ukrainian and European businesses—for their active engagement, insightful questions, and readiness for dialogue. And, of course, I thank the Energy Club team, whose hard work made this forum possible.
We see a huge demand for similar events and understand our responsibility. Energy Club will continue to organize international platforms that promote the maximum integration of Ukrainian energy businesses into the European space. This is our contribution to building a strong, competitive Ukrainian energy sector and a stable, common European energy future.
