Amid war, Ukraine bets on wind for energy security

STORY: Ukraine has been battling to maintain power supplies amid Russian air strikes.

Now the country's biggest private energy company is pressing ahead with one key project even as war rages.

DTEK has opened the first stage of a 500-megawatt wind power plant.

The aim is to boost Ukraine's energy sector after air strikes left millions without electricity and heating.

DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko:

"We are here to celebrate the completion of the first stage of the 500-megawatt wind project. We've managed to build 114-megawatt capacity during wartime. It is the completion of the first stage."

DTEK started building the plant in 2021, but construction stopped after Russia invaded last year.

The facility is less than 62 miles from the frontline.

Henrik Monefeldt is regional head of Fair Wind, a company involved with installing turbines at the site.

"It has been strenuous for the guys, it has been interrupted multiple times - air alarms and missiles flying by, so on and so forth. But what I hear from our technicians, our guys, is that they have been so proud working on this for the simple fact that we are helping to supply energy to Ukraine."

DTEK said the project will cost around $486 million..

Once completed, the Tyligul wind farm will be the largest in Ukraine.

For now, 19 wind turbines will generate electricity to support Ukraine's energy balance - and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Work resumed in April last year with engineers and workers building 13 wind turbines since then.

Six turbines were built before the war.