Trostianets holds great potential to become a green, environmentally safe, and family-friendly city – СEO, iC consulenten Ukraine

Exclusive interview with Andreas Helbl, CEO of iC сonsulenten Ukraine, Managing Partner of CES clean energy solutions GesmbH, to the Interfax-Ukraine Agency

Author: Oksana Gryshyna

- In May 2022, the Austrian engineering and consulting company iC Ukraine, in cooperation with CES, announced their intention to develop a renovation concept for Trostianets City, pro bono. What tasks have been set for your team, and which of these have already been completed?

- iC Ukraine helps the city to develop a new strategic development plan until 2050. We have to analyse existing Master Plan (dtd 2015) and update it given the existing challenges and needs.

On the one hand, the war makes us alter some Master Plan items, on the other hand, some of its elements no longer meet modern approaches, needs, and requirements of both updated Ukrainian legislation and EU directives.

- Does the Trostianets Master Plan require significant changes? Have you suggested a lot of adjustments?

- No. The degree of our involvement implies the analysis of existing plan, in particular, in a view of all the things that have already happened. In a city that has followed its Plan step by step, it would be irrational to go against quite a successful implementation.

We believe that Ukrainian cities should develop in line with European ones, and thus reflect in their strategies the latest approaches to energy efficiency, power generation, sustainable planning based on security, reliable and comfortable urban living spaces.

- Which weaknesses has the war revealed?

- In terms of not only Trostianets or Ukraine in general, but this war has also revealed a weak point of the European Union – its energy sector. We should focus more on independence from fossil fuels, gas,