The problem of the "green tariff" led to the fact that the state-owned Ukrenergo was forced to attract external loans before the war and now risks being in a state of default due to the inability to pay these obligations. This was stated by economist and member of the Economic Discussion Club Oleg Pendzin.
The “green tariffs” were politically motivated, which, according to the expert, is beyond doubt. However, these tariffs were essentially financed by electricity consumers, which led to the accumulation of significant debts. After the start of the war in Ukraine, the situation with the repayment of debts that Ukrenergo took under government guarantees to cover “green” obligations became critical.
“Ukrenergo can avoid default through agreements with partners, but the problem of the 'green tariff' still needs to be solved,” Pendzin noted.
He also emphasized that the tariffs for new facilities introduced after the year before last are practically no different from the usual ones. The problem lies in the debts that have accumulated under the tariffs approved in the first years of their existence. The expert emphasized that a decision on this situation should be made at the state level.
Recall that before the war, Ukrenergo took out an external loan of $825 million under government guarantees to repay debts to private producers under the “green tariff.” These funds were used to make payments of 22 billion hryvnias, which is ten times more than the company spent on protecting its facilities during the war.
On November 9, Ukrenergo is due to repay $119 million, or almost 5 billion hryvnias, on a “green” loan. The situation is causing concern among experts and casting doubt on the company’s financial stability.
