At the initiative of the Ministry of Energy, a draft law has been prepared that will allow the above-ground assets of coal and uranium mines undergoing closure to be transferred free of charge from state ownership to municipal ownership.
This was reported by Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Denys Shmyhal.
According to him, the draft law is expected to be submitted to the government for consideration within a week, and then sent to the Verkhovna Rada.
The initiative envisages that, at the request of local self-government bodies, the areas of former mines could be transformed into industrial sites and businesses attracted there.
It is also expected to reduce budget spending on implementing mine-closure projects and to make more effective use of existing infrastructure.
“The Ministry of Energy, together with communities, is working on a strategy for a just transition for the areas of former mines,” Shmyhal noted.
Separately, he spoke about a pilot project being implemented under a memorandum between the Ministry of Energy and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Its aim is to develop a forward-looking development plan for one of the mines undergoing closure.
The plan will include an assessment of the area’s investment potential and an indicative cost of the work required. It is intended to become a roadmap for attracting donors and potential investors to the development of former mining areas.