Kernel to build a 250 MW solar power plant in Western Ukraine — the largest in western Ukraine

Kernel plans to build a 250 MW solar power plant in Chernivtsi region, which will be the largest in western Ukraine, according to the local outlet Molodyi Bukovynets. The information was also confirmed to Latifundist.com by the company’s press service.

“Given Kernel’s existing portfolio of biomass cogeneration facilities, we are exploring opportunities to expand our renewable energy activities and analyzing new projects in light of the country’s overall energy situation. One such project is the construction of a solar power plant in the Chernivtsi region,” the company’s press office said.

The project is expected to be implemented within the next two years, depending on regulatory conditions in the energy market and logistics for equipment supply. Construction work is scheduled to begin in spring 2026.

According to the acting mayor of Kitsman, Ivan Semeniuk, it will be the largest solar plant in western Ukraine. At the initial construction stage, the community budget will receive about UAH 8.6 million annually, increasing to UAH 12 million in subsequent years. The land lease agreement is signed for 25 years, and total investments are expected to reach UAH 5 billion, Semeniuk added.

“Given the potential scale of the project, the company is considering attracting debt financing alongside its own investments. We believe that as Ukraine’s energy system recovers, all facilities must be integrated into the country’s unified energy grid. Once operational, the plant will be connected to the UES and supply electricity to the national market,” Kernel stated.

The solar power plant will be built in the Kitsman community of the Chernivtsi region by Chernivtsi Solar LLC. According to YouControl data, the company is owned by Kernel-Trade, with Andriy Verevskyi listed as the ultimate beneficiary.

In 2025, Kernel’s charitable foundation attracted $328,000 in co-financing from Jumbo Impact Fund for a substation reconstruction project at the Poltava oil extraction plant, which now runs entirely on renewable energy from sunflower husks. The facility received official certification as a renewable energy enterprise.

Previously, all renewable energy generated by Kernel was sold to the state-owned Guaranteed Buyer at a tariff of €0.12/kWh valid until 2030. However, since September 2024, the company has shifted to the open market amid an energy deficit and rising prices, which made previous conditions less favourable.

In October 2024, Kernel commissioned its final 20 MW cogeneration unit, bringing total capacity to 84.4 MW. In FY2025, the agroholding produced or traded 380 GWh of electricity — slightly below expectations due to limited feedstock availability and lower sunflower husk output. The company is exploring alternative biomass sources to diversify fuel supply and enhance operational resilience.