Image: ?????? ????????? [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
UK government invests £16 million in innovations to support the recovery of Ukraine’s energy system
The UK is backing collaborative innovation projects to support the recovery of Ukraine’s energy system as the country continues to defend itself from Russian attacks.
The UK government has invested £16 million in 13 innovation projects with the aim of rebuilding Ukraine’s energy system, displacing fossil fuels and supporting recovery once the war has ended.
The joint UK-Ukraine innovation programme comes after Russia’s war on the country has entered a new phase, with frequent drone and missile attacks on energy infrastructure.
The InnovateUkraine programme will see more than 50 UK and Ukrainian universities, businesses and civil society organisations collaborate on a range of projects. The UK government said the programme will leverage an additional £5m in private sector co-investment.
Greener future
Martin Harris, Britain’s ambassador to Ukraine, said: “I am proud that the UK continues to support the recovery of the Ukrainian energy sector, particularly after recent brutal attacks from Russia. We want to see it greener and more resilient.”
He said UK support for the projects “will help Ukraine recover in a more sustainable way”.
One of the projects is a collaboration between Aston University in the UK and the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to make heat pumps easier to retrofit into existing home heating systems.
Other projects include battery storage solutions for renewables, a more targeted approach to harnessing geothermal energy in Ukraine and optimising the country’s bioenergy resources.
Ukraine’s minister of energy Herman Halushchenko said: “Today we have a chance to demonstrate that the struggle for energy independence is a fight for the future. The green transition goes way beyond ecology or distributed generation. For Ukraine, this is a matter of national security.”