24.11.2025
At the Energy Club forum “Energy of Freedom: Resilience and New Opportunities for the Energy Storage System Market,” held on November 20 in Kyiv, Yurii Podoliak, CEO of IKNET, presented an analysis of the development of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) market, investment models, project economics, and the strategic vision of their role in Ukraine’s energy system.
His speech opened the first panel discussion dedicated to investments and the profitability of BESS.
Yurii Podoliak emphasized that the Ukrainian energy storage market is rapidly moving into the practical phase. While a few years ago BESS was viewed merely as a promising technology, today, hundreds of megawatts of capacity have already been built in Ukraine, with just as much currently under construction.
According to him, interest in BESS is driven by two key factors:
Two years ago, 1 MWh of storage cost around €200,000; a year ago — €160,000; and today — less than €100,000.
This makes BESS not just an innovation, but a genuinely economically viable investment with a payback period of slightly over three years.
The CEO of IKNET — a partner of the “Energy of Freedom” forum — highlighted three basic models for BESS application:
Operates on:
This model currently demonstrates the most dynamic growth.
This segment is currently less developed due to the existence of the “green” tariff (Feed-in Tariff).
“Those receiving it, even if they complain about the conditions, do not want to leave the ‘green’ tariff,” Podoliak noted.
However, the first hybrid SPP projects have already been implemented, notably using Huawei equipment. By 2030, when the “green” tariff expires for most SPPs, this segment is expected to experience a true boom.
One of the most promising directions for thousands of Ukrainian enterprises. Yurii Podoliak presented an example with real consumption graphs: daytime charging and peak shaving (leveling evening peaks) allow enterprises to achieve a payback period of 2–3 years. This makes BESS an optimal solution for business resilience during frequent outages.
Today, enterprises are massively investing in SPPs, gas reciprocating engines, and diesel generators. However, they rarely function as a unified system. Yurii Podoliak compared this to an orchestra without a conductor:
“There is a violin and there are other instruments, but there is no conductor to lead them. BESS is the element that can become the foundation of a micro-energy system.”
In his opinion, the lack of a comprehensive approach is the main challenge for the market.
Responding to a question from the audience on how to charge BESS during power deficits and emergency outages, Podoliak answered unequivocally: “There is no universal technology. A perpetual motion machine hasn’t been invented. BESS must work as part of a complex.”
The most effective combination:
Such a system ensures real autonomy and minimizes disruptions for the consumer, even in force majeure situations.
Regarding market capacity, Podoliak noted:
“Either build now or don’t build at all. There are four years left: one for preparation, one for construction, and three to manage to ‘skim the cream’ off the market,” the speaker emphasized.
According to his forecast, after 2030, the market will become extremely competitive.
Participants asked about the prospects of the state company participating in the energy storage market.
Yurii Podoliak replied with restraint but clarity: “I heard this idea back in 2021. Now it’s 2025 — it’s still just an idea. When it turns into real regulatory documents, then we will talk.”
In his view, state institutions move slowly and will not pose a threat to the market in the coming years.
The IKNET CEO paid special attention to the topic of micro-energy systems:
“The conductor is automation. It must manage systems so that the consumer doesn’t even notice the outage. We are just approaching this level — and that is good.”
Today, the company:
This allows IKNET to be among the market leaders and possess practical expertise in all types of BESS applications.
Yurii Podoliak’s speech sent a clear signal: energy storage systems have ceased to be an innovation of the future — today, they are becoming the foundation of energy security, economic benefit, and autonomy for both business and the state.
The Ukrainian BESS market is growing fast, but a full-scale breakthrough requires:
By 2030, Ukraine can reach a qualitatively new level of energy freedom — but only if investors act right now.
The forum was held with the support of partners: IKNET and Solar Steelconstruction.
