U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) and Mercy Corps will host the Panel Discussions “Powering Ukraine’s Recovery: Renewables, Biofuels, Conventionals and Minerals” in Gdańsk, Poland on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, followed by Networking Reception.
This event will explore a broad spectrum of energy sources powering Ukraine’s recovery, as well as the development of Ukraine’s natural resources, focusing on conventionals and minerals, and will include two panel discussions. Panel One will focus on renewables and biofuels, and Panel Two – on conventionals and minerals, with the special focus on the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF) and will include representatives of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Government of Ukraine.
Program:
3:45 PM
Registration, Welcome Coffee and Networking
4:00 – 4:10 PM
Welcoming Remarks:
Irina Paliashvili, President & CEO, U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC)
Jonathan Taylor, Associate General Counsel, Private Equity & Investment Funds, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
4:15 – 5:00 PM
Panel One: Leveraging Ukraine’s World Class Upstream Oil, Gas and Critical Minerals Resources and the Pivotal Impact of the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (URIF)
- Unlocking Ukraine’s natural resources potential – investment-readiness in Conventionals and Mining Sectors
- Structure of Ukrainian natural resources; available legal instruments (PSAs, Concessions, PPP)
- Roadblocks and needed improvements of the legal and investment regime
- U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund – an innovative bespoke mechanism; latest developments and deployment of equity investments in Energy/Minerals sector 2026
- Joint projects: what can a U.S. partner and a local partner offer on a joint project
- De-risking investments
- Mobilizing capital: co-investment with IFIs and private capital
Moderator:
Amb. Geoffrey Pyatt, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Senior Managing Director, Energy and Critical Minerals Practice, McLarty Associates
Speakers:
Vita Khyzhniak, Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Department, Mining Division, BGV Group Management
Stepan Kozytskyy, CEO, Zakhidnadraservis LLC
Roger Martella, Chief Corporate Officer, GE Vernova
Yegor Perelygin, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine
Jonathan Taylor, Associate General Counsel, Private Equity & Investment Funds, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
5:00 – 6:00 PM
Panel Two: Bankable Energy: Opportunities in Nuclear Energy, Biofuels and Renewables
- Investment priorities in Nuclear Energy, Biofuels and Renewables
- Strategic investors and available projects
- Making the projects bankable
- Roadblocks and needed improvements – practical examples
- Joint projects: what can a U.S. partner and a local partner offer on a joint project
- Balancing financial outcomes with political and economic aspects
- Practical examples of Ukrainian agro-holdings deploying biofuel projects
Moderator:
Vicki Aken, Ukraine Country Director, Mercy Corps
Speakers:
Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska, CEO, Green Resilience Facility
Dan Lipman, President, Energy Systems, Westinghouse
Nadiia Petruchenko, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, SPP Development Ukraine Group of Companies
Yaroslav Shevchyk, Project Director, Field-Group LLC
6:00 – 6:45 PM
Networking Reception
Speakers
The attendance is limited to USUBC and Mercy Corps members and partners. The space is strictly limited, so we can accept no more than two representatives per company. The registration will be carried out on a first come, first served basis, and will be closed when we reach capacity.
For inquiries regarding this event, registration and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dmytro Filonenko, Director, Programming & Business Development, at dfilonenko@usubc.org
