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Dragon Capital Teams Up with Former Ukrenergo Chief for $30 Million Power Venture

by Roman Cheplyk
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
2 MIN
Dragon Capital Teams Up with Former Ukrenergo Chief for $30 Million Power Venture

Project targets 150 MW of gas peaker plants, battery storage, and renewables by 2026

Deal Snapshot

  • Founders:

    • Volodymyr Kudrytskyi – former CEO, Ukrenergo

    • Andriy Nemirovskyi – co-founder, Negen development company

    • Dragon Capital – investment firm led by Tomasz Fiala

  • Initial Capital: US $30 million (fully financed by Dragon Capital)

  • Phase 1 Build-out: 60 MW of gas generation and battery energy-storage systems (BESS)

  • Total Target: 150 MW across storage, gas peakers, and renewables by end-2026

  • Ownership: Dragon provides equity; Negen founders serve as operating partners. Stakes will rebalance as new investors join.


Strategic Rationale

“Ukraine’s grid will need multiple gigawatts of fresh capacity before 2030. We’re seizing that window now.”
Volodymyr Kudrytskyi

Why the Project Matters

Driver Impact
Grid resilience Gas peakers and batteries stabilize frequency during Russian strike disruptions.
Decarbonization mix Combines quick-start gas with solar/Wind and BESS to meet Ukraine’s Green Deal targets.
Speed to market 60 MW online in Phase 1, leveraging modular technology for rapid deployment.
Investment case Attractive day-ahead and balancing-market revenues; hedged by capacity-payment reforms.

Project Timeline

Milestone Capacity Date
Phase 1 EPC start 60 MW gas + BESS Q4 2025
Grid connection & commissioning 60 MW Q2 2026
Phase 2 expansion +90 MW (mix of renewables & storage) Q3–Q4 2026
Aggregate portfolio 150 MW End-2026

Technology Mix

  1. Gas-Fired Peaker Units – rapid-ramp turbines for peak-hour support

  2. Battery Energy Storage (BESS) – 1- to 2-hour lithium-ion systems for grid balancing and ancillary services

  3. Renewables – site-dependent solar or wind installations to hedge fuel costs and reduce emissions


Funding & Ownership Evolution

  • Dragon Capital: Lead equity investor in initial tranche

  • Future rounds: Open to institutional and strategic co-investors; equity splits to be revised accordingly

  • Debt options: Possible EBRD or EU-backed green-finance lines for Phase 2 assets


Market Outlook

  • 6–8 GW of new capacity needed by 2030 to replace damaged plants and meet demand growth.

  • Regulatory tailwinds: Market operator plans new capacity-payment mechanism; EU-Ukraine grid integration deepens liquidity.

  • Revenue stacks: Energy arbitrage, frequency-containment reserve (FCR), fast-reserve services, and capacity payments.

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