“Ray of Hope”: solar power plants are being installed in Ukrainian hospitals
13 February 10:56
The Ray of Hope project has already identified about 300 medical institutions, mostly hospitals, where solar power plants will be installed. This was reported by the Ministry of Health, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
This initiative was launched jointly by the European Commission, the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
As part of this project, Ukraine has already received almost 6000 solar panels from the Italian company Enel S.p.A. with a total capacity of about 2 MW. This will help provide hospitals with a stable and environmentally friendly source of energy.
Active implementation of the project is already underway in 18 medical institutions in five regions of Ukraine, and solar power plants are already fully operational in three medical institutions in Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv regions. Another 6 medical facilities are in the process of installing solar power plants, and tender procedures have been held in 25 more.
According to Roman Andarak, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine, the first stage involves the installation of solar panels in about 20 medical institutions.
“We already have projects for 83 institutions. Our ambitious goal is to implement this project in about 300 hospitals throughout Ukraine,” the official said.
What is known about the “Ray of Hope” project?
This is an initiative implemented through the Energy Support Fund for Ukraine, established in the spring of 2022 at the initiative of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson at the Energy Community Secretariat. The project was also supported by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Since its inception, the project has become an effective tool for providing international assistance to the energy sector, enabling Ukrainian power engineers to recover from Russian attacks, carry out repairs, and install new energy facilities.
Other projects are also supported by the EU
For example, a few days ago, the Higher Vocational School No. 7 in Kremenchuk opened a training and practical center for generalist machine operators and modernized training workshops. The institution was fully renovated and equipped thanks to €1.4 million provided under the EU4Skills program: Modernization of Vocational Education and Training Infrastructure program, funded by the EU and implemented by the German Development Bank KfW with the support of the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund.
In 2024, eleven new modular primary health care clinics and a modular station for emergency medical teams were opened in Ukraine thanks to the cooperation of the European Union, the Ministry of Health and WHO. Last year, such medical facilities were launched in Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.
The European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine, with the financial and expert support of the Dutch government and in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, has launched the Blue Sky for Ukraine project. The initiative aims to create an effective system of psychosocial support for the National Police of Ukraine. As part of the project, psychosocial support centers will be set up in Lviv, Kyiv, Rivne, and Vinnytsia, and 13 mobile offices will be set up in the liberated and adjacent territories.
