Sustainable Support for the Armed Forces

Problem Situation

The Ukrainian energy sector is going through an extremely challenging period in its history. In the context of war, generation instability, market transformation, and European integration, knowledge has become the main capital – understanding the market’s logic, participant interaction, and the rules that shape a transparent and competitive environment.

These very challenges inspired JSC Market Operator to create the Social Program to Raise Awareness of Ukraine’s Electricity Market Functioning. Its goal is to expand and deepen business knowledge while uniting the professional community to discuss current issues of the modern energy market.

“Today, knowledge is also a weapon. And if we can share our expertise, helping energy specialists better understand market mechanisms, this is a direct contribution to the resilience of both the energy sector and the country as a whole,” – said Oleksandr Havva, General Director of JSC Market Operator.

Solution

This is how the Social Program of JSC Market Operator to raise awareness of the functioning of Ukraine’s electricity market was initiated – an initiative that combines an educational mission with support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Launched in June 2024, the Program brought together representatives of energy companies, businesses, and government institutions into a large professional community.

The format is an intensive one-week course featuring practical lectures from leading industry experts. The topics cover the operation of key market segments – DAM (Day-Ahead Market), IDM (Intraday Market), bilateral contracts, balancing market, price formation, trading strategies, export and import of electricity, and imbalance management.

Over time, the Program evolved into a modular system of thematic courses:

“Market Model” – a basic course for understanding the logic of the power system, market segments (DAM, IDM, bilateral contracts, balancing market), principles of price formation, and electricity trading.

“Green+” – focused on renewable energy producers and energy storage facilities, exploring conditions for electricity sales under various scenarios and prospects for RES integration into the market.

“Distributed Generation” – dedicated to the development of local generation, balancing mechanisms, participation of small producers in the market, and technical aspects of integration into the power system.

“Producers: Market and Balancing” – a detailed course for producers on market opportunities, balancing algorithms, planning, settlements, and interaction within the balancing market.

Among the graduates are representatives of major energy companies, businesses, regional distribution system operators, and lecturers from technical universities, who are now passing this knowledge on to their students.

“The Program truly helps to better understand the specific features of Ukraine’s electricity market and provides an opportunity for live communication with industry practitioners,” shared Yuliia Chernetska, a lecturer at Igor Sikorsky KPI and participant of the second season. “We must teach future energy professionals based on current trends and industry practices.”

State Enterprise Guaranteed Buyer and PJSC Ukrhydroenergo joined the Program as partners, creating a genuine synergy of efforts. This partnership has become an example of how professional community development can be combined with contribution to Victory.

Implementing the project required deep coordination: development of training materials, scheduling of lectures, creation of an informational website, and establishment of an online registration and certification system.

All of this was carried out entirely by the JSC Market Operator team – from concept development to communication support – without involving external contractors.

Results

In a year and a half of implementation, 655 participants have enhanced their professional competence, and hundreds of companies have strengthened their teams’ capacity in the electricity market. In total, more than UAH 6.3 million has already been transferred to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Program has received high recognition from the professional community: participants emphasize its practical focus, applied approach, and the opportunity to learn from industry leaders.

The initiative has become not only educational, but also reputational – strengthening trust in JSC Market Operator as a socially responsible leader that combines market development with support for Ukraine’s defenders.

The Program of JSC Market Operator demonstrates that energy is not only about megawatts – it is about responsibility, education, and the shared energy of change that builds a strong nation.