07.10.2025
In the Energy Club podcast “The Big Interview,” Andrii Grinenko, founder of RSE s.r.o., spoke about the historical legacy of Czech engineering, a team with 60% Ukrainian engineers, partnership with Caterpillar and MWM, innovative cogeneration modules with 7-10% higher efficiency than standard ones, and how the philosophy of energy is changing during the war.
Andrii Grinenko has gone from building 18 biogas and biomass power plants in Ukraine to establishing a factory in Brno, Czechia, that produces modular energy solutions for all of Europe.
Host: Andriy Kulykov – journalist, TV and radio host, media expert.
Guest: Andrii Grinenko – Founder of RSE s.r.o.
Host: We live in a time when energy is a matter of survival. And it is at this time that companies and people appear who make the impossible possible. One such example is the company RSE s.r.o., founded by Andrii Grinenko. Thanks to a combination of entrepreneurial thinking and deep engineering, his projects are already working in hospitals, in communities, and in industry. Today, we are talking with Mr. Grinenko about this path, the challenges, and the new philosophy of energy.
Mr. Grinenko, what does the company name – RSE – mean?
Andrii Grinenko: Thank you for the question. It’s a historical name that we didn’t invent, based on the long and great history of Czech engineering. The abbreviation contains a Czech surname. When we started our activities in Czechia, the name of one person caught my eye. This was Erich Roučka – an outstanding Czech engineer from the early 20th century, known as the “Moravian Edison” for his numerous inventions in the automation of boiler equipment and energy production optimization. There is not much information about him, but after reading, we understood that serious industrialization and the construction of new enterprises began in Czechia around the 1850s-60s.
Erich Roučka, as a young, ambitious man, was indeed friends with Edison and had over 880 inventions. He was the first to develop a boiler control automation system and was even awarded the high honor of being called an engineer without formally being one. His story is extremely interesting. At the end of his life, he invented a cure for cancer, which was used until 1954. I had the honor of meeting Erich Roučka’s descendants, found them here in Brno, and asked if we could use his name in our company title, on our logos, and thus continue the story. We agreed that when we build a museum, we will use his name. For now, we have taken the letter R into our company name.
RSE – Roučka-Slatina-Energo. Slatina is the specific location where the esteemed Erich Roučka’s factories were located. Starting from the socialist era, the trademark of his factories in Czechia became “Promyslověsta.” It was a well-known European manufacturer. About a hundred of their boiler houses are still in Ukraine today, most of which are probably still operational. So that’s the next letter, S. And E is for Energo, so the name RSE continues the glorious engineering traditions of the Czech Republic. We also officially purchased the trademark, requested it from the state, and part of our equipment, including boilers, utilizers, oil stations, and much more, is produced under the “Promyslověsta” brand.
Host: What was the turning point when you realized that previous approaches to energy were no longer sufficient?
Andrii Grinenko: Starting in 2014, we began to change our country’s horizons, building new power plants on biomass, biogas, and wood chip gasification, and we had quite good results and experience. We had 18 biogas power plants, three biomass plants, and one gasification plant, which are still located in various regions of our country, in regional centers. With the beginning of the war, some of our stations suffered significant damage. We restored most of them, but unfortunately, we lost one in Kherson. But there was a clear understanding that the enemy was starting to hit energy hubs. With 8-10 years of experience in building and operating these facilities, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the equipment, a desire to improve processes, and having good engineering and friendly relations with the Czech Republic and certain factories like “Ekol,” which are steam turbine enterprises, the decision was made to start production directly in the Czech Republic. First of all, this ensured the security of our production. Secondly, it allowed for quick component sourcing.
Host: The Czech Republic, the Moravia region. Why Brno specifically?
Andrii Grinenko: Brno is the second-largest city in Czechia by population, but the first in terms of manufacturing. It’s a kind of technological, technical, and manufacturing hub with limitless potential. A huge amount of German and other European equipment is produced under contract and in cooperation with the Czech Republic in the city of Brno. That’s the first thing. And second – out of Brno’s 450,000 population, over 100,000 are students. Some of them study at technological universities and have a technical education. Therefore, a large number of major global industrial enterprises have offices here, particularly for design development and more. So, this choice was not accidental.
Host: Mr. Grinenko, about the students. Under Czech law, can a student work at your enterprise?
Andrii Grinenko: For a typical workday, a certain number of hours.
Host: And what is your attitude towards this? Do you involve them, or do you turn them away, saying, “You haven’t finished your studies yet”?
Andrii Grinenko: I’ll tell you, it’s debatable who works more effectively. Our guys and girls, Ukrainians who study here and work with us – frankly, we are very pleased with their work, we support them in every way, and we hope they will stay with our team after graduation.
Host: As far as I know, you generally support Ukrainians. I was told that up to 60% of your engineers are from Ukraine, is that true?
Andrii Grinenko: That’s right. About 60% of the engineering staff are Ukrainians.
Host: How do you select them? And how much does one’s ethnic background matter in this?
Andrii Grinenko: The thing is, we didn’t really have to select them. Before the war, our company, the Clear Energy group, had about 1,200 employees. A large number of the engineering staff were those who were centralized and did the same work they do for us now. So, we practically retained part of the team, and the Czech part, let’s say, smoothly integrated into our team. We work in the Czech Republic, under Czech laws, but with Ukraine in our hearts. So, things are a bit different here in our office. The territory of our office is Ukraine.
Host: Mr. Grinenko, besides being a remarkable energy specialist, you also have a reputation as a keen psychologist. How do the work habits and traditions of Czechs differ from ours, the Ukrainian ones? Or vice versa?
Andrii Grinenko: You know, our people—almost all who work for us—operate under the same rules. Why do I say almost all? Because a Czech person must be at home on a weekend. Coming in for extra work is impossible – neither bonuses nor any requests can influence them. That is, they have a somewhat different mindset. And so, when we work systematically but there are moments when we need to speed up, increase output, and so on, we rely more on our Ukrainian guys and girls.
Host: And briefly, how do Moravians differ from the rest of the Czechs?
Andrii Grinenko: Moravia is located closer to Austria. Its inhabitants are a bit different from other Czechs. Not just in pronunciation, but also in mentality. They are more focused, in my opinion. And perhaps that is why the engineering universities are located here.
Host: Mr. Grinenko, you have retained a large part of your team, and new people have joined you. How has the company’s internal culture changed, or has it been preserved? How does this help maintain high standards in the current circumstances?
Andrii Grinenko: You know, the company has changed because it is new. It is a manufacturing and engineering company with a certain high technological bar that we set for ourselves in Ukraine, where it was a slightly different, operational energy company producing products. Here in Czechia, we work in the B2B and B2C markets, which is a bit different. We are learning a lot in this market because for us, these are new products, new challenges, new requirements. Therefore, the direct culture of the company is created by us with the team, but the foundation and core must be systematic. And when it is present in any process, it significantly affects the company’s achievements and success.
Host: You say that you are learning, but I am sure that you can also teach something in the country where you now work. What innovations, what new methods have you introduced or perhaps tried to introduce?
Andrii Grinenko: If we talk about the technological components, we have a lot to share. When we started our activities in the Czech Republic, we needed suppliers of world-renowned engines, and there are not many of them – you can count them on one hand. For a long time in Ukraine, we worked with an equipment supplier and made our own cogeneration modules and certain systems for it, which we also operated ourselves. In Czechia, I personally visited a large number of enterprises, and there are many farms here. And I’ll tell you, a farmer is no different in Ukraine, Czechia, or other countries. This is a person who counts every penny, works hard, and knows the value of that earned Ukrainian hryvnia or Czech koruna. And when I saw MWM engines on every farm, I started asking: why these engines? And I got a clear answer: “We don’t spend money on them, they work for their entire lifespan. This is extremely important to us.” And I thought: how can we get these engines? And frankly, one evening, it was a Friday, I wrote an official letter to everyone I could find on LinkedIn, Facebook, and everywhere else regarding MWM, Caterpillar, and so on. And literally on Monday morning, there was one invitation to talk, they gave me an opportunity for an interview. We talked about ourselves, about our capabilities. The attitude was quite skeptical, but at the same time, we got started. But that was the beginning.
Today we are part of and a partner of MWM and Caterpillar Energy Solutions. The MWM plant is a historical component. It was founded 150 years ago by Karl Benz—the German inventor, automotive engineer, and industrialist, the very same founder of Mercedes-Benz. Caterpillar is a huge group, a huge global company. We are part of it, but with our own management, our own policy, our own position. And some things we produce are unique even for them. These are solutions with 4.5 MW cogeneration modules. This is a completely innovative solution that we recently introduced. After all, every energy specialist fights for tenths, for hundredths, for percentage points of increase in the efficiency of any installation’s operation. And when we proposed to increase the overall efficiency by 7, 8, or 10 percent, I’ll tell you frankly, it was met with great skepticism, but after checks, everyone saw that it was possible. And all this was created and implemented by our engineers, our team members.
Host: This autonomy that you mentioned, is it a way to protect yourself from the risks that a large company might face?
Andrii Grinenko: We faced certain challenges as the company grew. Starting around 2023-2024, thanks to the support of many European, global, and American funds, a lot of energy equipment began to be brought into Ukraine to support cities and certain regions. But they all placed orders for components at supplier factories. The factories were overloaded. Therefore, a decision was made: since we cannot wait, and in order to have a lower cost and be competitive, we must maintain a certain monthly output in our product line. That’s 24-30 cogeneration modules per month. To do this, we need to secure a number of engines and components. But since the component manufacturing plants are busy, we started producing our own components for our modules. All our production is certified. All our people – both Czechs and Ukrainians – have undergone specific training, have the appropriate documentation and educational adaptation. And this allowed us to fully certify any element of our production. And thus, about 40% of the products we had to purchase, we started to produce ourselves. Yes, it didn’t happen in one day. Our designers worked, to some extent we conducted experiments – sometimes positive, sometimes not, but we succeeded. And today, this is the huge advantage where we are a vertically integrated company with production localized right here – made in Czechia, made in Brno.
Host: So, RSE s.r.o. is certified not just by Czech standards, but by pan-European standards? And how much does this help you in your work?
Andrii Grinenko: The thing is, European certification is common and necessary not only in Europe but also beyond its borders. These are certain high-quality standards that must be adhered to not only in production but also directly in daily use, in the process of planning, production, and marketing. In everything that concerns production as a whole, not just the manufacturing unit. And so these standards allow us to participate in tenders in different countries, not just European ones, and win them. And thanks to our efficiency, thanks to the fact that today we not only have a lower price but also a higher coefficient of performance, we are succeeding to a certain extent.
Host: Mr. Grinenko, how connected is RSE – Roučka-Slatina-Energo – with Ukraine now? What percentage of your products, if it’s not a trade secret, goes to Ukraine? And what, accordingly, is the company’s role in Ukraine’s energy independence?
Andrii Grinenko: I’ll put it this way: our market dynamics were structured as follows. Since there was a high demand and many requests from Ukraine, in 2024 almost 80% of sales were directly to Ukraine. We worked with businesses – small, medium, and large businesses in Ukraine to ensure a stable and uninterrupted supply of electricity to their production facilities. This year, Ukraine’s share is about 40%; there is significant growing demand in Europe, as well as in Africa and other countries where people have begun to pay attention not only to savings but to restructuring the energy approach as a whole.
What do I mean? In accordance with the European concept, today we see significant changes – the refusal of coal, and the launch of new platforms to work on gas piston and gas turbine units. The heat pump market is developing extremely powerfully in Europe, and here we also have significant advantages. Our company, together with our partners “Mira Intex,” has developed a unique product for the market. It is a propane-based turbocompressor that has no rubbing parts. It operates on gas-air bearings and has a huge coefficient of performance. Today our industrial heat pumps, which produce both heat and cold, have an SCOP, that is, the coefficient of converting electricity into heat, of about 7.2. For comparison, 5.8 or 5.5 is a standard coefficient. And due to the fact that, in accordance with the EU directive and the reduction of F-gases by 2027, we operate in an environment where propane is used as one of the gases that can serve as a refrigerant, our consumers in European countries receive reimbursement of up to 70%.
You might ask me, what is the benefit of this for Ukraine? Here is the answer. We have already talked about the large amount of equipment supplied to Ukraine through donor funds to ensure uninterrupted energy supply to communities, cities, and utility companies. This was a necessity, but it was not fully calculated from the customer’s side, so there is a certain amount of excess local capacity that is basically not used. And here the question of using natural gas arises. We see in the world and European markets that less gas should be used now. Because you can’t buy gas that comes from the enemy. And the gas that comes from other countries is already more expensive. There is natural gas that we provide for ourselves, but it is not limitless and should be for the population. How can we reduce its consumption? By using the same approach, and this approach is not innovative, it has been used in Denmark and Belgium for many years: when we start using surplus electrical energy to produce cheap heat, thereby reducing the amount of natural gas consumption. And this is the next stage in the country that we must go through. Whether we want to or not, we are moving with global trends. And this is the cheapest thing that can be.
Host: So, do you want to or not?
Andrii Grinenko: Definitely yes. It’s a necessity, not a desire. And we must promote the most effective use of this process. That is, to ensure that technology and equipment with the highest efficiency and the best payback are used in this segment. Now, as they say, on an advertising note: only our turbocompressor has a 10-year warranty.
Host: I’ve heard many interesting things from you, and also the word Africa. How difficult was it to enter that market? In my mind, the conditions there must be drastically different from European ones.
Andrii Grinenko: This endless process of entering the market has a beginning. But we don’t see its end yet. But we look at the demand, the necessity, and the specific factors that cause them. That is, when a delegation comes to us, for example, from Nigeria, and says that they need a slightly different product — more cold than heat, which we can provide from our cogeneration modules and our efficient industrial heat pumps. And here begins the process of building a reputation in this market. And we are starting it, we are moving forward. I can’t say it’s an easy market; it’s different. It’s completely different, radically different from the European one. But no one has canceled the general economic principles. Where there is demand, there will always be supply. Price and quality – all the same factors we talk about. And you know, also a great desire and inspiration to do it.
Host: Mr. Grinenko, do you think RSE s.r.o. has better prospects in expansion or in deepening its expertise? On one hand, the number of modules, markets, capacities; on the other, quality, innovation, technological advantage. Or do you combine these?
Andrii Grinenko: You’ve remembered it correctly: these two values cannot exist without each other. Because we cannot expand if we are like everyone else. Why should they buy from us? Why should they work with us? That means we must be effective, competitive, fast, and to some extent, partners for the client. And then it works. And we demonstrate the deepening of each of these segments throughout the not-so-long life of RSE s.r.o. in terms of increasing efficiency, in terms of new technologies. We invest about 10% in research and development. And R&D is not always a success. That is, to some extent, we discard what doesn’t yield a certain effect and take only what the market needs, and we test it with professionals. That is, together with Caterpillar, under its auspices, and together with MWM, under its auspices, we have this opportunity and we verify it.
Host: I’ll catch on to your words: you are fast, but conditions are also changing very quickly. Resources, investments, financial challenges. How do you maintain stability here? And, by the way, there’s also political uncertainty.
Andrii Grinenko: You know, any business in any country almost always has results. But the correctness of the chosen vector and a product that is interesting to the market will always be successful. The main thing is to have a pace of development and to maintain it. The world is changing quite quickly. Today there are no simple solutions. Today, only integrated energy systems have the right to exist. And those who understand this will be one step ahead. A large number of companies are currently fighting for certain market segments. But we are also trying not to lag behind and to be in this environment.
Host: Since we are talking about systems and integration, how do you see the systems of energy standards and regulations in Europe and Ukraine in about 10 years? What place will there be for companies like RSE s.r.o.?
Andrii Grinenko: If we talk globally about the energy market, it’s about balance. Any country strives for balance. We see examples of different countries that begin to balance their markets after stepping on certain rakes. I am convinced: Ukraine’s energy system will be restored after the victory. Savings and efficiency are possible only through technological solutions. And this is a dogma that works all over the world. Processes, approaches, and sources of production are changing.
Host: What is more inside you – a businessman or an engineer? Or do you combine this with the same scale and depth?
Andrii Grinenko: Being just an engineer, it would be hard to move forward. The main potential of our company is the people who work every day. And they are not afraid to express their opinions, even if they are somewhat innovative, because there may be a rational grain in it that will be used in the future. Therefore, I am an engineer, but business-oriented, just like the team, which must live and develop. Without business, engineering is no longer possible here.
Host: There’s a lot of talk about startups now. You launched a new company in Brno. What is your key advice for young people who are thinking of founding an energy startup?
Andrii Grinenko: I use a principle: believe in what you do, don’t be afraid of mistakes, because every mistake is experience and a step towards success. And it works regardless of the line of work. But you have to work every day.
Host: Does an engineer and a businessman have dreams, or let’s call them plans?
Andrii Grinenko: We have several stages at the forefront of our company. We are launching two innovative products – new turbocompressors. We want to capitalize to a certain extent in Czechia by building and developing small workshops. But I have one dream: that we start building this as soon as possible in Ukraine.
