12.03.2026
“SK ENERGY GROUP” LLC is a successful and progressive electricity and natural gas supplier that has already established itself as a strong and competitive player in the energy resources market, offering individual solutions for every client.
The company was founded in 2020 with the goal of building the shortest information and logistical path between the producer and the end consumer. The core operating principle of “SK ENERGY GROUP” is building long-term and trusting relationships with clients on mutually beneficial terms.
Over its years of operation, “SK ENERGY GROUP” LLC has participated in more than 1,300 public procurements. Over 250 contracts totaling more than 1 billion UAH have been signed with government institutions.
The company’s competencies in the field of electricity and natural gas cover all areas: from trading on the domestic wholesale market and supplying electricity to consumers to resource imports.
The founder of “SK ENERGY GROUP” LLC, Artem Vasylenko, is an international class master of sports, a participant in the London Olympic Games, a European judo champion, and head of the Judo Federation in the Kharkiv region. In an exclusive interview with the Energy Club media department, he shared how high-performance sports experience shaped his approach to business, why discipline and risk-readiness are key to working in the energy market, how the company builds cooperation with the public sector, and what prospects he sees for Ukrainian energy traders in Europe.
— Artem, you are an international class master of sports, a participant in the London Olympic Games, and a European judo champion. At the same time, you graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Kharkiv University. When and how did the understanding come that after high-performance sports, your path would lead specifically to the energy sector and the creation of “SK ENERGY GROUP” in 2020?
— Of course, the understanding didn’t come immediately or while I was a professional athlete. It happened later, after finishing my sports career. For a while, I worked as a coach for the National Judo Team of Ukraine, but it was a very short period. I really liked this activity because a coach is a teacher, a mentor. But you have to live this profession, like any other. You can’t combine it with another, being a little bit here and a little bit there. I had to choose between sports and business. I chose business. However, I remain the president of the Judo Federation of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region. These are frontline territories; many athletes have left. I believe that after the end of martial law and the cessation of hostilities, the development of sports will resume and continue.
Even when I was an athlete, I always understood the importance of competencies in the field of economics and finance, so I obtained a specialized higher education. Also, from childhood, I realized that one should try to work for oneself – taking responsibility rather than shifting it to someone else. After all, an athlete’s career is short, and it’s worth determining early what to do next and how to build one’s life. I settled on the energy business because energy is the foundation of any country’s economy. The demand for energy resources is constant and only growing, and Ukraine is a state with enormous resource potential in terms of electricity and gas.
— Like all athletes, you know how important it is to be able to accept defeats. At the 2012 Olympics, you suffered an unfortunate defeat at the start but didn’t break: you stayed on the national team and later won the Ukrainian championship twice in a row (in 2014 and 2015). Today’s Ukrainian energy market is full of stress, crises, and unpredictable situations. Does this athletic resilience help you take the hits in business?
— Absolutely. I believe that defeat is an integral part of any champion’s life. It’s one thing to become a world champion, but quite another to fall and rise back to those heights. That is much harder.
Regarding the Ukrainian energy market – working in it probably involves more defeats than victories. I would compare it to a roller coaster. It is quite unpredictable, with sharp price fluctuations. So, while working in it, I concluded: the only thing that helps overcome chaos is discipline. If it exists, if you follow your own indicators, it allows you to keep moving forward on your path.
Hard work and discipline are the main qualities sports gave me. They are the foundation of success in any activity.
— Artem, what did your company “SK ENERGY GROUP” start with?
— Three colleagues and I started working in electricity trading. That was six years ago when the energy market in Ukraine became public. We quickly picked up pace and reached a high level, started handling tenders and budget procurements. Initially, all contracts were loss-making, but we realized that later; the main thing for us was moving forward. We learned from our own mistakes. Today we have 50 employees. Many of our colleagues – probably 70 percent of our company’s staff – first encountered the Ukrainian energy market specifically in our team. We developed together; that is, each person’s path is the company’s path.
Everything we have today is the result of teamwork. I generally believe that business is a team game. Today the market has changed significantly. 2025 was a difficult year; I hope 2026 won’t be like that. But in any case, we have enough strength to endure.
— Over the years of operation, your company has concluded more than 250 contracts with government institutions totaling over 1 billion UAH. Working with the budget requires iron discipline and the ability to calculate strategy several steps ahead. What is your approach that allows you to win tenders and provide economically beneficial solutions?
— It is, again, discipline combined with flexibility and a readiness to take risks. And sometimes – minimal deal margins – something that the giants of the Ukrainian energy market do not agree to. We react quickly to changes and work on weekends.
No business exists without risks. They shouldn’t be feared, but it’s important to control them. And we try to do that – take responsibility, make decisions. The main thing is to stay in the game.
— Since 2020, you have been supplying electricity, and since 2022 – natural gas as well. Your competencies cover both the domestic market and resource imports. What is the main advantage for businesses and budget institutions in purchasing both resources from you as a single supplier?
— We have many counterparties to whom we supply either only gas or only electricity. If a company builds its production process on gas, then it needs very little electricity – usually just to support office spaces, etc. And when electricity is at the heart of production processes, the need for natural gas is minimal. Those who buy both resources simultaneously are few. For our company, the main argument is diversification.
Gas is a more conservative and predictable resource than electricity. At least it was until the war in the Middle East began. We’ll see how it goes in the coming months. There are far fewer scenario developments than in electricity, but unfortunately, we cannot predict how the situation will develop further. We hope for the best.
But one must consider that the global situation is one thing, and the situation in Ukraine is another. Today, the gas market in Ukraine is closed. Export is prohibited due to martial law, and import is economically unprofitable. So we are in a closed ecosystem, which adds uncertainty regarding the future.
— Electricity import today is a critical necessity for the survival of many enterprises. How does your company help clients minimize the risks of outages, and what solutions do you offer to ensure stable supply?
— We are able to import electricity from four directions: Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova. The government reacted very correctly by passing a resolution on 50% electricity import for specific enterprises. This significantly balanced the system during the last very difficult winter. By February, about 6-7 GW of capacity had been disabled. And Ukraine’s energy system survived thanks to electricity imports.
— In sports, strong sparring partners are needed for constant growth. In 2024, “SK ENERGY GROUP” became a member of the Energy Club business community. What kind of partnership are you looking for within the club, and how can your expertise be most useful to other market participants?
— We are interested in developing within the Energy Club community. It is the only professional community in the energy sector. We participate in all the Club’s events.
Regarding partnership – first and foremost, we seek integrity, fulfillment of agreements, and mutually beneficial cooperation with people who are passionate about their work, with like-minded individuals. And we find common interests and productive dialogue with companies that also strive to develop. Perhaps these are not the main market players who already have built-up vertically integrated processes, but they are flexible traders like us.
As much as possible, we always share our expertise and information about the pitfalls of working in the energy market, imbalances, electricity imports, etc. So I sincerely want to wish everyone to try and control their risks, as the energy market is very unpredictable.
— You have already established yourself as a strong player in the energy resources market. What main goal are you setting for your company for the coming years – a sort of new “Olympics” for “SK ENERGY GROUP”?
— In the next 1-3 years, we plan to scale the company in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Hostilities in our country continue, and we must be ready for any scenario. So it is obvious that Ukraine remains dependent on neighboring states for now. Therefore, scaling and gaining competencies in European markets is a necessity for companies working for the future in the energy sector.
And our maximum program for the longer term is market diversification. Additionally, I would like to be able to control the entire value chain of the product. This provides greater flexibility and opens new opportunities.
— Artem, we started with sports, so finally – this question: please tell us, how is sports similar to business?
— You know, I generally believe that business is, in a way, a sport. It’s also a competition. And, as a rule, it’s a competition of the strongest – those who have already passed some stage of selection. But just like in sports, in business, one shouldn’t put instant high results in first place. Above all, it’s important to understand the process, to stay in the game – then the results will come. There will be both defeats and victories. But there will be no burnout.
Artem Vasylenko’s journey from high-performance sports to the energy business demonstrates that the principles that form champions on the mat are no less important in the competitive energy market. Discipline, readiness to take responsibility, the ability to rise after defeats, and working in a team – these are the qualities that allowed “SK ENERGY GROUP” to occupy its niche in the energy resources market.
Ahead are new challenges, scaling in European markets, and working in conditions of high turbulence. But, as in sports, the main thing is to stay in the game and move forward.
