Ukraine's EBA calls for supporting bill to exempt wind turbines from duties

MOSCOW. Aug 13 (Interfax) - The European Business Association (EBA) of Ukraine has urged officials to support a bill to exempt wind turbines from import duties.

"Business is asking Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy, Housing and Public Services Andrei Gerus, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Danil Getmantsev, and Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko to support the bill as soon as possible," Ukrainian media said, citing an EBA press release.

The bill amending the Ukrainian Customs Code to facilitate reconstruction of Ukraine's renewable energy infrastructure was registered at the Ukrainian parliament in late July.

"The European Business Association supports the bill. It will reduce the cost of wind turbines, increase the availability of such goods, and facilitate faster restoration and expansion of wind power capacities," the press release said.

Due to their specifics and construction technology, wind farms are decentralized energy facilities, the EBA said.

Therefore, scaling up wind energy in Ukraine will cut dependence on traditional energy sources and will contribute to the stabilization of energy supplies in the country.

"Besides, construction of wind farms meets the national strategy towards developing a decentralized power grid based on renewable energy and will help Ukraine fulfill its obligations to the EU regarding green transition and de-carbonization goals," the EBA said.

As the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA) said earlier, bills adopted by the Ukrainian parliament as a whole on July 16 abolish import duties and VAT on energy equipment but do not provide such benefits for imported wind energy equipment, thus hindering construction of new wind farms.

The UWEA added that main equipment for construction of wind farms will not be exempt from taxation as required by the current situation in the national energy sector.