The road to sustainable energy is paved with solar panels

The situation in Ukraine

Olga Krasko, co-founder of the LifeLine Ukraine Foundation, explains the situation in Ukraine. "Immediately after the invasion, everything changed. Collaborations fell apart, society halted and many experts left the country. Infrastructure facilities and public services within 20 kilometres of the border were destroyed. Yet, the resources available for rebuilding are limited.

These circumstances leave Ukrainians with a challenging mission: To replace what has been damaged. One of their top priorities is restoring public utilities, in particular power facilities. Power outages significantly impact hospitals, especially when elevators are out of order. Unlike Dutch hospitals with operating theatres on the ground floor, many in Ukraine are on the upper floors. Transporting patients between floors requires working elevators."

Bullet-proof panels

Solarge, a Dutch company specialising in circular solar panels, offers an innovative solution. Together with generators, these panels will ensure an uninterrupted, reliable energy source. Unlike traditional power plants, they are more resilient and difficult to destroy. This makes them especially valuable for decentralised energy systems.

Gerard de Leede, CTO of Solarge, highlights the advantages of their solar panels, "They generate crucial electricity for hospitals in Ukraine, addressing grid issues. The panels provide direct energy for medical procedures and store energy in the accompanying batteries. Made from polymers, they remain functional even when being struck by a bullet. Also, they do not scatter harmful scarves if hit by grenades."

Rebuilding what has been damaged is one priority, but modernising outdated public amenities is just as essential. Damage repair alone will not make them sustainable or circular. Gerard explains the benefits of the solar modules, "They do not contain harmful substances such as PFAS and are fully recyclable. They have the lowest carbon footprint and will not harm the environment, even at the end of their life or if destroyed in a conflict. All modules are IEC certified and need no modifications whatsoever."

How to transport fragile solar panels to a war-affected country

The LifeLine Ukraine Foundation will coordinate the transport and installation of 1702 solar panels from the Netherlands to 13 hospitals in Ukraine. Olga explains, "So far, we have delivered and installed 238 panels in Mykolaiv. The next shipment will include 773 panels for 5 locations. But transporting solar panels is complex, as they are fragile and the destination is in high-risk zones.

We focus on areas where large-scale aid does not come, such as the frontline and border regions. So, we must prepare all unloading logistics in advance. We do not want the trucks to spend more time in a risky location than necessary. We rely on experienced local staff and excellent logistic partners from Ukrainian and Polish companies working with Ukrainian drivers." 

The importance of partnerships

"Our UPF project is one of our most significant initiatives so far, involving the full implementation across 13 hospitals. This includes procurement, installation and training, all of which require substantial resources. To carry this responsibility, strong partnerships with De Boomgaard and RVO are essential. A reliable supplier like Solarge has been invaluable. We simply could not have done it without Solarge. Without this partnership, it would not have been possible to carry out a project of this scale across several regions. Collaborations like these enable long-term impact in areas that need it most.

It may seem obvious, but working in a partnership has shown us that clearly defined roles, responsibilities and communication structures are absolutely essential. Next time, we will ensure these elements are clearly established during the proposal and budgeting phase.

Working in a partnership structure requires greater coordination and internal accountability, and rightly so. As an organisation with an entrepreneurial, action-oriented culture, we were used to acting first and reporting later. Adapting to this new expectation takes some time, but it strengthens the project overall.

Transporting a total of 1702 solar panels may seem challenging. But, if we cooperate towards the same goal, we can make progress towards the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine," Olga concludes.

More information

For UPF2, 32.5 million euros was available for projects focusing on agriculture, water, healthcare, sustainable energy and circular construction projects. We are preparing the third application round. Please check our UPF webpage regularly for updates.

UPF aims to support the reconstruction and sustainable economic development of Ukraine. An essential criterion for selecting projects is their potential to contribute to reconstruction in Ukraine and the sustainable recovery of its economy and society.