Over 100 healthcare facilities are now generating electricity under the Ray of Hope project

More than 100 healthcare facilities across 23 regions of Ukraine are now generating their own electricity thanks to solar power plants installed under the Ray of Hope project. The initiative is coordinated by the Energy Community Secretariat, with implementation carried out by the Ukraine Energy Support Fund.

Solar power plants, combined with energy storage systems, are strengthening the energy resilience of medical facilities and helping ensure continuity of operations during power outages, including those caused by Russian attacks. This on-site generation makes it possible to keep ventilators and incubators running, maintain lighting in operating rooms, and preserve proper conditions for storing medicines and blood supplies.

"Strengthening the energy resilience of hospitals is one of our priorities. On-site generation and storage systems give medical facilities an added ability to keep operating without interruption, even amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. We will continue developing these solutions together with our international partners and scaling them up across Ukraine. I thank the European Commission, the Energy Community Secretariat, and all our international partners for their contribution to the resilience of Ukraine's healthcare facilities," said Denys Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Energy of Ukraine.

"Together with our partners, we are working to ensure the continuity of medical care under any circumstances. Our healthcare system must be able to keep functioning despite attacks, power outages, and other emergencies. That's why we are strengthening the autonomy of medical facilities. More than 100 healthcare facilities are already generating electricity thanks to solar power plants installed under the Ray of Hope project. I thank our international partners for their support of Ukraine and for the concrete solutions that are strengthening the resilience of our healthcare system and helping it continue operating for patients without interruption," said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.

The combined capacity of the solar power plants already installed under the project exceeds 9 MW. The healthcare facilities are also equipped with energy storage systems with a total capacity of around 10 MWh. Together, these systems are expected to generate approximately 10 GWh of electricity each year.

"Innovation born of solidarity is one of the foundations of Ukraine's resilience, and the Ray of Hope is a clear example of that in practice. The Energy Community Secretariat is proud to help connect the solidarity of Ukraine's partners with concrete support on the ground. We are grateful to the donors whose contributions made this important achievement possible and helped strengthen the energy security of healthcare facilities," said Artur Lorkowski, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat.

Work to expand the project is ongoing. Some 285 projects are currently at various stages of implementation, and 687 healthcare facilities have been identified as priority candidates for support under the initiative.

Background

Ray of Hope is a joint initiative of the European Commission, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, implemented under the Ukraine Energy Support Fund with coordination by the Energy Community Secretariat.

The programme's goal is to strengthen the energy resilience of healthcare facilities by equipping them with solar panels, energy storage systems, and other equipment to ensure a reliable power supply and uninterrupted operation, even under difficult conditions.