Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko held a bilateral meeting with UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps on his visit to Kyiv.

German Galushchenko thanked the UK for its support to the Ukrainian energy sector and spoke about the need for equipment for restoration work and the accumulation of reserves.

The Minister stressed that Ukrainian energy companies were working to strengthen the physical protection of energy facilities and were interested in the experience and expertise of their UK counterparts on measures to protect energy facilities from russian attacks. One of the key tasks is to decentralise power generation by increasing the capacity of solar and wind energy and using gas turbines.

For his part, Grant Shapps underlined that the UK remained Ukraine’s steadfast friend and partner. In particular, the UK intends to extend a loan guarantee worth GBP 192 million to provide Ukraine with uranium enrichment services. This will strengthen Ukraine’s energy security and help put an end to its dependence on russian fuel sources.

“Britain has been with us since the early days of the great war. We have received support from our British partners in the form of both equipment supplies and financial contributions to the energy sector. The UK’s decision to support the supply of enriched uranium is a very important step towards ousting russia from the nuclear energy market. In particular, the UK is taking steps to ensure that we can secure a reliable supply of nuclear fuel. This is a significant milestone and the Secretary of State has personally played a major role in making it happen, and I am sincerely grateful to him for that,” said German Galushchenko.

The parties also discussed nuclear safety issues. German Galushchenko stressed the Ukrainian side’s interest in the UK’s participation in the development of the Concept for the future of safe nuclear energy based on the Peace Formula proposed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The document is expected to provide real mechanisms for states to comply with nuclear and radiation safety rules and promote further development of the nuclear industry.

The Head of the Ministry of Energy also thanked the UK for its assistance in developing Ukraine’s energy strategy up to 2050, and Grant Shapps confirmed the interest of UK companies in investing in the restoration and development of Ukraine’s energy sector.