Kyrylo Arkhypov: "It is important for us to be a driver of change"

AK TRADE GROUP (AK TRADE GROUP LLC) is an innovative trading company that, thanks to a professional team, flexible strategies, and the use of modern tools, is one of the leaders among independent traders and contributes to the development of a competitive, transparent, and efficient energy market in Ukraine. The company’s operating principles include competitive and flexible electricity prices, strict adherence to mutually beneficial contract terms, a convenient payment schedule, and support for its partners.

In a conversation with the Energy Club’s media department, the founder and director of AK TRADE GROUP LLC shared his vision for the company’s development and the Ukrainian energy market, spoke about plans for the near future, the incentives for joining the country’s largest energy community, and the challenges he hopes to overcome together with the Club.

– Mr. Kyrylo, tell us about the main activities of AK TRADE GROUP and highlight the key areas of work.

Kyrylo Arkhypov

– AK TRADE GROUP LLC is a modern energy trading company operating in the Ukrainian electricity market. The main activity is focused on electricity trading in various market segments – the day-ahead market, intraday market, balancing market, and bilateral contracts. We are actively forming and developing a balancing group, providing clients with tools to optimize their imbalance costs. A separate area is the aggregation of small electricity producers, including those from renewable sources. The company also pays attention to the development of gas-fired distributed generation as a tool to increase the flexibility and reliability of the power system. Our key areas of work include:

• sale of electricity to other market participants under bilateral contracts;
• formation and management of a balancing group to optimize clients’ imbalance costs;
• aggregation of electricity producers and consumers, particularly from renewable sources;
• trade and financial operations to minimize risks and increase portfolio efficiency;
• analytical and consulting support for market participants.

– What are your strategic goals for the next 1-3 years?

– Our strategic goals for the next 1–3 years are focused on several main areas of development:

• Expansion of the balancing group – attracting new participants and optimizing their imbalance costs through modern forecasting and portfolio management algorithms.
• Integration of renewable energy sources (RES) – developing aggregation services for solar and wind power plants, which will allow for more effective integration of “green” generation into the power system.
• Active work with gas-fired distributed generation – creating a portfolio of small-scale generation within the aggregated group with a total installed capacity of about 150 MW.
• Strengthening market positions – entering new segments, expanding the partner network, and implementing innovative trading and financial optimization tools.
• Own and partner investments in the construction of distributed generation – both in gas and renewable energy.
• Export of electricity produced within the aggregated group to enhance Ukraine’s integration into the European energy space.

Our task is to become one of the leading independent traders that not only provides clients with high-quality services but also promotes the development of a competitive and stable energy market in Ukraine.

– We are pleased to welcome AK TRADE GROUP – a new generation of traders – to the Energy Club business community. What was the main incentive for joining the Club?

– The biggest incentive was the desire to become part of a professional community that brings together leading players in the energy market. Energy Club is a platform where you can not only exchange experiences but also jointly shape the vision for the future of Ukraine’s energy sector.

– Have you had previous experience collaborating with Energy Club?

– Yes, we have already interacted with individual member companies of the Club on trading and consulting projects. This experience confirmed for us the value of joint initiatives and mutual support, which became an additional motive for officially joining.

– You surely see the advantages of participating in the business community. What are the most significant ones?

– Today, in the context of market transformation and wartime challenges, it is extremely important to have a platform for professional communication. Energy Club is exactly that, providing its members with advantages in access to analytics, expert discussions, networking, and the opportunity to influence strategic decisions for the industry.

– What problems or challenges do you hope to overcome through your participation in the Club?

– Among the key challenges are high risks in the balancing market, the integration of renewable energy sources, and the development of small-scale gas generation. We hope that participation in the Club will help to form common approaches to solving these problems, reduce regulatory risks, and create stable conditions for the development of business and the entire energy sector.

– Do you intend to be actively involved in the activities of Energy Club?

– Yes, we plan to take an active part in Energy Club’s specialized events, join working groups and discussions, and also initiate our own discussions related to the development of the balancing market, RES integration, and the implementation of gas-fired distributed generation. It is important for us not just to be a participant, but to become an active driver of discussions.

– What areas of cooperation within the Club are priorities for you?

– First and foremost, the exchange of experience and analytics, which will help to manage risks more effectively and implement innovations. Also important for us is finding partners for joint projects and participating in a dialogue with regulators to create predictable market conditions.

– What do you see as the role of AK TRADE GROUP in building a strong and resilient energy system for Ukraine?

– We strive to be a partner that provides the market with balancing tools, develops RES aggregation, and implements gas-fired distributed generation as an element of energy security. Through our activities in the Club, we see ourselves as a connecting link between business, the state, and international partners.

– What joint initiatives could you implement together with Energy Club?

• Development of a unified strategy for integrating RES into the power system.
• Promotion of support programs for distributed generation, particularly gas and bioenergy.
• Deepening cooperation with European associations to accelerate the integration of the Ukrainian market into the single European space.
• Initiatives to increase the transparency and predictability of regulatory policy.

– Your company is developing rapidly and working for the future. What is your vision for the future of the Ukrainian energy market in 5–10 years?

Kyrylo Arkhypov

– We see the Ukrainian energy market as an integrated part of the European energy system with a high share of RES, developed distributed generation, and modern balancing mechanisms. In this future, AK TRADE GROUP will play the role of an active trader and aggregator that helps businesses and consumers receive stable and affordable electricity. Energy Club, in turn, will become a key platform that shapes the industry’s common position and influences the state’s strategic decisions. So we wish all Club members development, stability, and new successful projects. We believe that by joining forces, we can make the Ukrainian energy market more transparent, flexible, and competitive, and the partnership between companies will be the key to the country’s energy security.

I want to emphasize that AK TRADE GROUP is open to cooperation and new partnerships. We see the Club not just as a platform for communication, but as a community of like-minded people shaping the future of Ukrainian energy. Therefore, we will be happy to join initiatives that contribute to the restoration and development of the industry.