U.S. investing $522 M in Ukraine’s energy system
The United States has signed a memorandum of understanding to provide Ukraine with $522 million in funding to strengthen the country’s energy system.
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USA: The United States has signed a memorandum of understanding to provide Ukraine with $522 million in funding to strengthen the country’s energy system.
The agreement aims to improve the resilience of Ukraine’s energy system by restoring critical infrastructures, introducing distributed generation, reforming its energy sector, and promoting Ukraine’s post-war transition to a low-carbon, competitive energy economy.
“The United States is supporting Ukraine with more than just weapons,” said National Renewable Energy Laboratory Researcher Ilya Chernyakhovskiy. “We have technical expertise in the power system that is relevant to Ukraine, and that will help Ukraine rebuild.”
The funding will help restore Ukraine’s damaged electricity, heating, and gas infrastructure, strengthen power system resilience to minimize power disruptions in essential sectors, such as heating, water, sanitation, transportation, telecommunications, and health, expand distributed generation from renewable energy sources in the power and heat sectors, strengthen Ukraine’s physical interconnection with European gas and electricity networks and protect Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure with anti-missile and cybersecurity defense systems.
Currently, the country’s energy mix includes coal, natural gas, petroleum, nuclear, and renewables, with natural gas representing 33% of energy consumption, followed by coal at 30% and nuclear at 21%. Renewables only account for approximately 5% of Ukraine’s energy mix.
By highlighting the importance of increased renewable resources, Ukraine hopes to modernize and strengthen its grid system to create a more resilient energy network that transitions away from fossil fuels and can withstand disruptive events, such as severe weather or attacks.
In March 2023, Ukraine publicly announced the goal of having 50% of the country’s power come from renewable energy sources and 50% from nuclear energy by 2035.
Source: EnergyTech