History of the General Energy Institute of the NAS of Ukraine

The General Energy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (GEI NASU) is a center for fundamental and applied scientific research aimed at addressing national strategic issues relating to the development of Ukraine’s energy sector.

In the 1980s, the Ukrainian SSR recognized the need for a scientific institution that would address the general challenges facing the development of its fuel and energy complex, forecasting and developing fuel and energy balances, improving energy efficiency in the production, conversion and use of fuel and energy resources, and shaping the state’s energy policy.

To address this set of issues, in accordance with Resolution No. 138 of the Bureau of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR dated 7 April 1988, the following were established based on the Department of Problems of Electricity Conversion and Utilization at the Institute of Electrodynamics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, the Departments of Systems Research in Energy and High-Temperature Energy Conversion at the Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, and the Department of Thermometry in Energy at the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, the Institute of Energy Saving Problems of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (IPE of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR) was established, complete with a specialized design and technology bureau featuring experimental production facilities.

The following areas of scientific research were identified for the Institute of Power Engineering of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR:

By Order No. 832 of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine dated 26 April 1994, the Department of High-Temperature Energy Conversion at the Institute of Energy Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was granted the status of a legal entity, and in 1996, the Scientific and Technical Centre for Coal Energy Technologies was established on its basis, operating under dual administration: the NAS of Ukraine and the Ministry of Energy and Electrification of Ukraine.

Following the declaration of Ukraine’s independence, the Institute was renamed the Institute for Energy Saving Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The Institute for Energy Saving Problems of the NAS of Ukraine carried out research and development work on pressing issues in the energy sector and energy saving.

For the first time in Ukraine, a draft Law of Ukraine ‘On Energy Saving’ was drawn up, the scientific concept of which reflected views on the nature and content of state policy in the field of energy saving that are generally accepted in international practice, taking into account the conditions of our country, drafts of state standards on energy saving (Corresponding Members of the NAS of Ukraine V.Yu. Tonkal, M.I. Mints, I.I. Stoyanova).

For the first time, the main directions for the development of the energy sector in the regions were scientifically substantiated, taking into account energy-saving policy, which became particularly relevant in the context of economic independence and market relations that were beginning to take shape in the country. For the first time, methods were developed for the comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of energy-saving technologies and measures, as well as mathematical models of energy consumption, energy and exergetic analyses; systems of indicators for the efficient use of energy resources were developed, and methods for determining them were substantiated (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine V.Yu. Tonkal, M.V. Hnidyi, A.I. Symborskyi, A.P. Usik, G.G. Panchenko).

The INTELENERGO computer system has been developed, which has made it possible, when considering various scenarios for the development of the economy and the energy sector – taking into account energy saving, environmental requirements and the prospects for the emergence of new technologies – to carry out calculations of alternative options for Ukraine’s national energy strategy, and to periodically adjust national energy programs (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine V.Yu. Tonkal, V.L. Perchuk, O.I. Yufa).

The foundations were laid for forecasting the development of Ukraine’s fuel and energy complex and its sectoral systems. For the first time in Ukraine, a new methodology was proposed, and mathematical and software-based tools were developed for medium- and long-term forecasting of the country’s electricity sector, which have made it possible to effectively address the full range of challenges relating to its development during the gradual transition to market-based relations in the energy sector, whilst taking full account of the requirements for the rational use of natural resources (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: M.M. Kulyk, B.A. Kostyukovskyi, L.A. Borysova, N.V. Parasiuk).

For the first time in Ukraine, mathematical tools, modelling systems and a corresponding database were developed to carry out multi-variant optimization calculations of promising scenarios for the development of Ukraine’s gas supply system, taking into account resource and energy saving. The results of optimizing technical solutions for the new construction and reconstruction of the gas supply system were utilized by the state-owned gas company ‘Ukrgazprom’ (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, O.I. Humeniuk, Ye.V. Shcherbyna).

A study on the operating modes of the main gas transportation systems and the optimization of their management was conducted in Ukraine for the first time. Based on these studies, the specialized software and computing systems ‘Prognosis’ and ‘Dynamics’ were developed; these were used in the expert assessment of the mathematical support for the automation systems of the Urengoy–Uzhhorod gas pipeline (developed by the French firm TOMSON-CSF) and in the control systems for main gas pipelines in Russia and Ukraine between 1981 and 1991 (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, O.B. Uslontsev, V.P. Getmanets, I.Ch. Leshchenko, E.V. Shcherbyna).

The ‘Palyvoemnist’ and ‘Toptar’ information and modelling systems were developed to analyse and forecast fuel requirements for electricity generation and the average electricity tariff. The ‘Atmosfera’ information and modelling system, which was created, made it possible to analyses the impact of energy facilities on atmospheric air quality and to assess the effectiveness of environmental protection measures at these facilities (Y.G. Blavdzevych, A.A. Kudriashova, S.K. Komova, V.V. Timokhin, V.P. Nosenko, A.V. Shekhovtsov, T.V. Ilchenko).

An information and computational system was developed for accounting for nuclear fuel at nuclear power stations, maintaining the operational history of core components and optimising the core reloading process. The software, certified by the State Nuclear Energy Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, was implemented at the Zaporizhzhia NPP (L.G. Kirilova, N.P. Ivanenko, V.I. Spilnyi, T.I. Oleksandrova). A series of studies has been carried out to assess the electromagnetic compatibility of power conversion equipment. The first domestically developed system for measuring and recording transient electromagnetic processes, based on a microprocessor system, has been constructed. The developed electricity consumption controllers have been implemented at enterprises in Ukraine (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine V.Yu. Tonkal and S.P. Denysiuk).

The Institute of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine initiated and coordinated work under the Cooperation Agreement between the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Kyiv City Administration. A concept was developed for the comprehensive municipal scientific and technical program ‘Energy Saving’, which addressed not only the implementation of measures to curb energy consumption but also the active protection of the environment (Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine V.Yu. Tonkal).

In accordance with a decree of the President of Ukraine (1996), the Institute of Energy Problems of the NAS of Ukraine was designated as the lead organization for the development of the Comprehensive State Program for Energy Saving in Ukraine, and Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk was appointed scientific director of this project. The Comprehensive State Program was approved by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (1997).

With the declaration of Ukraine’s independence, the country’s energy sector was faced with the pressing need for long-term forecasting of the operation and development of the country’s energy sector and its sub-sectors, forecasting scientific and technological progress in the energy sector, and researching issues relating to the management of energy systems and complexes under new economic, political and international conditions.

To address the range of issues outlined above, by Resolution No. 83 of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine dated 26 February 1997, the Institute of Power Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was reorganized into the General Energy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The following areas of scientific research were identified for the IGE NASU:

In these studies, the GEI NASU served as the lead developer and coordinated and synthesized research findings from more than 20 academic and sector-specific research organizations. A methodology for systems research in the energy sector was developed in the context of economic liberalization and the formation of market relations, based on which mathematical models were created to optimize the development of Ukraine’s fuel and energy complex and its sectoral systems, taking into account the impact of energy facilities on the environment; software and information tools were also developed to support decision-making on the long-term development of Ukraine’s fuel and energy complex. Forecasts have been drawn up for the energy requirements of Ukraine’s economy and social sector, as well as the country’s overall and sector-specific fuel and energy balances, taking into account the capacity of fuel bases and the minimisation of imports (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, B.A. Kostyukovskyi, M.V. Gnidiy, S.V. Dubovskyi, S.V. Shulzhenko, O.F. Lyashenko).

This project was approved by the Government in 2006.

For the first time in Ukraine, mathematical tools and modelling systems were developed that enabled short-, medium-, and long-term forecasting of primary energy resource (PER) demand, taking into account energy saving, uncertainties in economic development, and inter-sectoral shifts (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, M.V. Hnidyi, B.A. Kostyukovskyi, N.Yu. Maistrenko). A model was developed for forecasting the country’s energy consumption levels, which takes into account indicators of economic globalization, optimal indicators of export-import relations, modernized energy-saving potential and the optimal structure of primary energy resources, constrained by the levels of actual fuel supplies (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, M.V. Gnidyi, O.E. Maliarenko, G.O. Kuts, N.Yu. Maistrenko, V.D. Bilodid).

For the first time in Ukraine, a two-stage method for forecasting demand for energy resources has been developed, which, based on non-iterative harmonization of forecast decisions, ensures consistency between forecasts calculated using upper and lower bound indicators (Academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, O.E. Maliarenko, N.Yu. Maistrenko).

The theory of inter-sectoral balance has been further developed. For the first time, a price model and a price index model have been developed and comprehensively studied; unlike Leontief’s price model and other well-known price models, these are based on fundamentally different principles, namely, they are based not on the balance of inputs but on the balance of outputs within the Input-Output mathematical framework. The proposed price models are free from methodological errors (M.M. Kulyk, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

The scientific foundations, methodology, and algorithms for determining technically feasible and economically viable energy-saving potential at all levels of the country’s economic management, taking environmental factors into account, have been developed (M.V. Gnidiy, O.E. Maliarenko, N.Yu. Maistrenko).

A mathematical model has been developed for determining energy efficiency indicators, based on which generalised recommendations have been derived for improving the efficiency of energy-intensive industries (M.M. Kulyk, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; V.D. Bilodid; O.E. Malyarenko; G.O. Kuts; N.Yu. Maistrenko).

Mathematical models have been developed to forecast the development of the generation capacity structure; these have been implemented in the ‘Matrix’ subsystem of the ‘Pyramid-V’ software and information complex, enabling comprehensive research into forecasting the development of the generation capacity structure of the Unified Energy System (Academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: M.M. Kulyk, B.A. Kostyukovsky, S.V. Shulzhenko, T.P. Nechaeva, A.I. Spitkovsky).

Mathematical models and software tools have been developed for calculating the technical and economic indicators of the full life cycle of electricity generation technologies, which take into account the uncertainty of input data; this has made it possible to generate the necessary input data for optimizing the structure of the power system’s generating capacity and for detailing development scenarios for its individual subsystems, in particular, nuclear power (S.V. Shulzhenko, B.A. Kostyukovsky, T.P. Nechaeva).

To forecast the optimal functioning and development of the coal industry, a mathematical model and software tools have been developed that take into account the combined influence of mining-geological, technological, organizational, environmental, and economic factors on the efficiency of the coal sector. A system of indicators and criteria for assessing the energy efficiency of coal mining has been established. Using these, a series of studies has been carried out on the energy viability of coal mining at specific mines, based on current production performance levels and the potential level forecast following technological modernisation of production (O.F. Lyashenko, O.V. Stogniy, V.M. Makarov, M.I. Kaplin, T.R. Bilan).

To forecast the operation and development of the oil and gas sector, research was carried out to analyze operating modes and optimize the management of main gas transmission systems. On this basis, the ‘Kaskad’ software and information system was developed and implemented in gas transmission enterprises; it is designed to calculate the operating modes of main gas pipelines, taking into account the actual characteristics and technical condition indicators of the main equipment at compressor stations, as determined in real time (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, O.B. Uslontsev, E.V. Shcherbyna, I.Ch. Leshchenko).

Taking into account the significant changes in the global gas sector (the growth of trade in liquefied natural gas, the introduction of technologies for extracting unconventional gases, and the widespread use of renewable energy sources) and the need to ensure energy security, a system of coordinated mathematical models has been developed to forecast the long-term functioning of the gas sector (I.Ch. Leshchenko, S.I. Spitkovskyi).

With a view to forecasting the operation and development of Ukraine’s heat supply systems, a methodology and software tools have been developed to study the processes of disseminating the latest energy-saving technologies within Ukraine’s heat supply sector, taking into account the increased role and significance of renewable energy sources and alternative fuels (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, V.D. Bilodid, V.O. Derii, O.I. Teslenko).

To formulate forward-looking product-based fuel and energy balances, methodological approaches and mathematical tools for the analysis and synthesis of systems for the production, conversion, transmission and consumption of energy carriers have been developed, based on modified Leontief–Kantorovich– Koopmans models. Taking into account fuel substitution, consumers’ product range requirements, and energy security conditions has made it possible, on a unified basis, to determine economically viable volumes of domestic production and imports of fuel and energy resources (O.V. Stogniy, M.I. Kaplin, T.R. Bilan, and Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine D.E. Yeger, who worked at the Institute from 2018 to 2022).

Since 2008, researchers at the Institute have been working on establishing the theoretical foundations for adaptive automatic frequency and power control (AFPC) systems in integrated power systems, based on passive controllers and large energy storage devices. The proposed adaptive AFPC systems almost triple the response speed of traditional AFPC systems. These results form the basis for the creation of a flexible and highly efficient AFPC system in Ukraine (Academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, I.V. Dremin, O.V. Zgurovets, V.A. Denisov).

As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol thereto, Ukraine is required to submit national communications on climate change to the Convention’s Secretariat. Ukraine’s first national communication on climate change was developed under the scientific supervision of Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, with the participation of B.A. Kostiukovsky, S.V. Shulzhenko, N.V. Parasiuk and others, and was accepted by the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1998. Following a tender organised by the National Agency of Ukraine for the Efficient Use of Energy Resources, the Institute developed the Concept for a Comprehensive State Program on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving in Ukraine (2006), which was aimed at addressing the energy efficiency challenges facing Ukraine’s economy and focusing greater attention on tackling the country’s high energy intensity. The development of such a program was timely, as the Comprehensive State Program for Energy Saving in Ukraine, which was in force at the time, was due to expire in 2010 (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, M.V. Gnidiy).

A new phase in the Institute’s development began in 2022 and continues to the present day. For the Institute, this period was not merely another stage, but a fundamental transformation that took place against the backdrop of war and strategic resilience. The Institute adapted rapidly, becoming one of the key research centers working to strengthen the country’s energy security.

The Institute has undergone a significant expansion of its staff. In accordance with Order No. 615 of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine dated 24 November 2021 ‘On the transfer of the Department of Monitoring and Optimization of Thermophysical Processes from the Institute of Technical Thermophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to the Institute of General Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’, with effect from 1 January 2022, the Department of Monitoring and Optimization of Thermophysical Processes, headed by Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine V.P. Babak, became part of the Institute. This provided a significant impetus for the expansion of the Institute’s areas of activity.

By Resolution No. 74 of 23 February 2022, the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine approved the Institute’s updated main research areas:

The start of the full-scale invasion and the destruction of energy infrastructure by the aggressor presented the team with new, critically important tasks. Research took on a practical focus, centering on enhancing the resilience and reliability of the power system.

On the instructions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, proposals have been drawn up and submitted regarding the transformation of high-capacity boiler houses within district heating systems – as critical infrastructure facilities – from electricity consumers into electricity producers —suppliers capable of meeting both their own electricity needs and those of other consumers through the widespread introduction of energy-efficient, containerised gas-piston cogeneration units. This helps to enhance the resilience of the power system through a significant increase in the number of distributed generation facilities and their geographical dispersion (O.I. Teslenko). These proposals formed the basis for the implementation, through the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine, of a decision to introduce gas piston cogeneration units at high-capacity boiler houses in Ukraine, which was carried out as part of the USAID Energy Security Project on the implementation of distributed generation.

A conceptually different approach to the principles of utilizing energy from wind (WPP) and solar (SPP) power stations has been developed, the main idea of which is to use the primary energy from SPPs or WPPs in district heating systems with an electric heat generator instead of natural gas-fired heat generators. Whilst the SPPs and WPPs are legally part of the integrated power system, they are physically and functionally separated from its structure and form their own autonomous subsystem of the integrated power system (the electric heat supply subsystem). The consumers of this subsystem are exclusively high-capacity electric boilers, the thermal energy from which is fed into the district heating system (Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M.M. Kulyk, Academician of the NASU V.P. Babak, A.O. Zaporozhets).

A new principle for the operation of wind power stations and solar power stations in self-sufficient mode has been proposed, which is achieved by incorporating an energy storage system into their structure. A set of mathematical and software-based tools has been developed to determine the energy output of wind farms and solar power stations using instantaneous values of their power, the charge and discharge levels of the storage system, its required capacity, and so on. This method enables the efficiency of the integrated power system to be improved by utilizing energy from autonomous renewable sources to stabilise frequency and power without resorting to external generation sources (Academician of the NASU V.P. Babak; Academician of the NASU M.M. Kulyk; A.O. Zaporozhets; V.A. Denisov).

A new mathematical programming model with integer variables has been developed and is being refined for the dispatch of generating capacity to meet the electricity load schedules of the Ukrainian Integrated Power System (UIPS), in which, for the first time, account is taken of the requirements to maintain the necessary levels of secondary reserves in the UIPS for every hour of the daily electricity load schedule, which is critical given the involvement of existing non-maneuverable high-capacity nuclear power stations in meeting these demands (S.V. Shulzhenko, V.A. Denisov).

For the first time in Ukraine, a mathematical programming model has been proposed for the load scheduling of electricity and heat generation capacity, which simultaneously ensures the fulfilment of two production-consumption balances – for electricity and heat, in accordance with consumption schedules for every day of the year – whilst optimising the use of electric heat generators, which consume electricity in line with the electricity load schedule and supply heat in accordance with the needs of customers connected to the district heating system. The results have been implemented at ‘NEC ‘Ukrenergo’ (S.V. Shulzhenko, O.I. Teslenko, T.P. Nechaeva, V.O. Derii). The results of research carried out by the Institute were used by specialists at the National Energy Company ‘Ukrenergo’ in the preparation of reports assessing the adequacy (sufficiency) of generating capacity to meet the forecast demand for electricity and ensure the necessary reserve.

For the first time in Ukraine, a mathematical model for the restructuring of the coal industry has been developed, based on multi-factor criteria for the operational efficiency of coal-mining enterprises. This model differs from existing ones in that it simultaneously takes into account indicators of the mines’ long-term viability, the country’s demand for coal of the required grades, and the constraints of low-carbon economic development scenarios, which has enabled the investigation of scenarios for restructuring the coal sector during the transition to a decarbonized economy (Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine O.V. Novoseltsev, V.M. Makarov, M.I. Kaplin, M.O. Perov).

For the first time, theoretical foundations have been developed for the creation of information and measurement technology for monitoring the condition of energy facilities, based on the concept of systems research into processes and signals associated with the operation of energy facilities, taking into account their physical nature and practical monitoring tasks. Methods of mathematical modelling and signal processing have been refined, and their informative characteristics and methods of identification have been substantiated, enabling the acquisition of objective information on both the current state of power systems and networks and the quality of electricity. (Academician of the NASU V.P. Babak; Y.V. Kuts; S.I. Kovtun).

The theoretical foundations of object-oriented identification of phenomena, processes, and objects have been developed, based on research into an information resource – the characteristics of noise fields generated by energy sector objects. For the first time, structural models of noise signals from energy sector facilities have been proposed, which take into account retrospective and current information on the facility’s condition and reflect its life cycle; the application of which opens up possibilities for analysing the current state of an energy facility, including the monitoring of atmospheric emissions and the use of this information to forecast its future operation. (Academician of the NASU V.P. Babak, L.M. Shcherbak, S.I. Kovtun).

Young researchers at the Institute have, for the first time, developed the ‘Green Power Atlas’ software and information system, designed for the automated collection and processing of multi-parameter satellite meteorological data (wind speed, insolation, cloud cover, precipitation, temperature, etc.) using the basic datasets from The POWER (NASA) and an adaptive interface, which enabled the development of a methodology for the rapid spatio-temporal assessment of the generation potential of wind and solar power stations for the purposes of designing distributed generation and enhancing the resilience of the power system under crisis loads (A.O. Zaporozhets, V.O. Verpeta).

The Institute has placed greater emphasis on the training of academic staff: the licence to award PhDs has been renewed; in addition to the postgraduate program in specialization 141 ‘Electrical Power Engineering’, a new postgraduate program has been launched in the critically important specialization 175 ‘Information and Measurement Technologies’; a specialized academic council D 26.223.01 has been established for the defence of doctoral theses in two specializations – 05.14.01 ‘Energy Systems and Complexes’ and 05.11.13 ‘Instruments and Methods for the Control and Determination of the Composition of Substances’ – and doctoral programs have been launched in the corresponding specializations. In 2023, the licensed capacity for educational activities at the third (educational and scientific) level was expanded to 20 students, reflecting recognition of the Institute’s growing role in training scientific personnel.

In June 2022, a new scientific journal, ‘Systemic Research in Energy’, was launched, based on the scientific collection ‘Problems of General Energy’, which had been published by the Institute since 1999. The new journal has become a platform for a comprehensive examination of fundamental issues and applied problems in the energy sector.

During this difficult time for the whole country, the Institute’s staff have been actively involved in efforts to strengthen the nation’s defence capabilities. Volunteer groups led by the Institute’s researchers have designed, manufactured and supplied more than 100 long-burning heating and cooking stoves to the Armed Forces of Ukraine; these are intended for heating various types of premises whilst simultaneously enabling food to be prepared. This design has been granted Ukrainian patent No. 152440, ‘Portable long-burning heating and cooking stove’. Tests of the modernized stove were carried out at the Institute, confirming its operational capability and the feasibility of small-batch production. In addition, more than 50 units of motorised vehicles were procured, repaired, adapted for combat use, and handed over to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The work of the Institute’s scientists has been recognized with the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, as well as the S.O. Lebedev, V.M. Khrushchev, G.F. Proskura and V.I. Tolubinsky Prizes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The work of the Institute’s young scientists has been recognized with the President of Ukraine’s Award for Young Scientists and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s Award for Young Scientists. A young scientist, Dr. A.O. Zaporozhets, Dr. Sci., has been awarded the ‘For Labour and Valour’ medal.

Today, the General Energy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is evolving from an academic institution into one of the key strategic centres whose research and development directly influence Ukraine’s viability, defence capability and energy future.

The Institute comprises four research departments: