Ray of Hope delivers long-term, life-saving energy security to over 100 Ukrainian healthcare facilities 

The Ray of Hope initiative, which is led by the Energy Community Secretariat and implemented by the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, has reached a significant milestone. Over one hundred healthcare facilities –across 23 regions in Ukraine are now generating electricity from solar power systems installed under the project. The combination of solar panels and battery storage strengthens the resilience of healthcare infrastructure to power outages, helping ensure the continuity of lifesaving operations, including ventilators, incubators, operating theatre lighting, and the refrigeration of medicines and blood supplies, even during Russian attacks. 

“Strengthening the energy resilience of hospitals is one of our priorities. On-site generation and energy storage systems provide healthcare facilities with an additional means of operating continuously, even amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. We continue to develop such solutions together with international partners and scale them up across Ukraine. I thank the European Commission, the Energy Community Secretariat, and all international partners for their contribution to the resilience of Ukrainian healthcare facilities", said Denys Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Energy of Ukraine.  

“Ukraine is now in the fifth year of the full-scale war, and our health system must be ready to operate under a wide range of emergency scenarios — from attacks and power outages to disruptions in heating, water supply and logistics. Ensuring continuity of healthcare is critical for the entire country. This is why we are continuing to strengthen the resilience and operational autonomy of healthcare facilities. I am grateful to our partners, including the Ray of Hope initiative, for supporting this work", said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine. 

“Energy keeps our economies running, our societies functioning and our essential services operating — including healthcare. With the Ray of Hope initiative, we are helping Ukraine to boost the resilience of its energy system and ensuring that vital medical care can continue. In the face of Russia’s ruthless attacks on infrastructure, decentralised renewable energy systems are essential to keep the lights on. This initiative is a powerful demonstration of solidarity in action,” said EU Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen. 

Across over 100 sites, the completed installations represent a combined ~9 MW of solar generation capacity paired with ~10 MWh of battery storage. The systems are expected to generate approximately 10 GWh of electricity annually, helping shield patient care from the impact of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. 

"Innovation born of solidarity is one of the pillars of Ukraine's resilience, and Ray of Hope is a clear example of it in action," said Artur Lorkwoski, Energy Community Secretariat Director. "The Energy Community Secretariat is proud to be the bridge between the solidarity of Ukraine’s partners and the power delivered on the ground. We thank the donors who have made this lifesaving impact possible." 

In total, 285 projects are currently in various stages of implementation, with 687 healthcare facilities in total pre-selected and prioritized by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine for support. The project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, and with the support of the external project manager - Urban Technology Alliance LP. It is backed by donors including the European Union, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany.