The goal is to mitigate climate impact by managing landfill gas emissions more effectively and enhancing the recovery of energy from this gas. Additionally, the aim is to establish a unified national strategy to decrease the emissions of climate gases from waste disposal sites. In the longer term, compliance with EU rules will require Ukraine to close and remediate landfills and dumpsites. However, that depends on the availability of alternative waste treatment methods and judging by the experience of EU and other candidate countries, full compliance is unlikely to be achieved until at least a decade after accession. Meanwhile, landfill gas control has been chosen as an area where Swedish support can yield immediate benefits for environmental sustainability and quality of life.

The component will entail various key activities, including the identification and selection of 300 significant sites, detailed analysis of these sites, and the improvement of existing landfill gas collection and utilisation facilities. It will explore organisational models for large-scale implementation, aiming to replicate successful strategies and share knowledge more broadly. Initial efforts will focus on planning and designing the first 30 plants, with the ultimate goal (subject to securing additional finance) of xpanding to all 300 sites identified. Local feasibility studies will be an integral part of these pilot projects.

An initial feasibility report is scheduled for February 2025, after which a specialised task force will be established in Ukraine, along with focus groups among end users. The component will benefit from the expertise of Swedish companies and financial backing from entities such as Nefco and Swedfund. Further collaborations with international investors such as the EBRD, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the World Bank will aim to provide additional support and coordination and to enable Ukrainian partners to roll out the initiative to additional sites.

The timeline for this component includes conducting a feasibility study throughout 2025, followed by the development of final investment plans and the establishment of an organisational framework in 2026.