PRESS RELEASE

24 September 2024

On 19 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol held a joint press conference in Brussels to address Ukraine’s energy security for the upcoming winter. A day later, on 20 September in Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a plan to provide up to €35 billion as an EU loan to Ukraine, to be directed towards Ukraine’s recovery.

Marking 1000 days since the launch of Russia’s full-scale military aggression against Ukraine, the press conference addressed the immediate energy needs of the Ukrainian population, while also working towards making Ukraine’s energy system more resilient in the long term. Due to the continuing and intensified attacks carried out by the Russian military forces, half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed.

The EU has already mobilised resources to address the situation over the past years and months, sending equipment to affected regions in Ukraine. This includes a Lithuanian cogeneration plant that is being dismantled and sent to Ukraine.

Over the coming months, the EU and IEA have announced that they will work together to ensure winter preparedness for Ukraine, focusing on:

    • Efforts to restore gigawatts of power for the winter, covering 25% of Ukraine’s needs (‘Repair’);
    • Synchronization of Ukraine’s grid with the European grid, covering 12% of Ukraine’s winter energy needs (‘Connect’);
    • Boosting decentralized production and sharing expertise in cyber awareness and security (‘Stabilize’).

Responding to these developments, COGEN Europe’s Managing Director, Hans Korteweg, says: “We welcome the EU’s announcement to support Ukraine on ensuring security of energy supply through the upcoming winter. In view of Russia’s continuing military aggression against Ukraine, damage to energy infrastructure risks leaving people without access to basic utilities, including heating and electricity. COGEN Europe and its members are committed to contributing their expertise and know-how, notably regarding the deployment of distributed cogeneration systems, which save energy and enhance resilience. We are willing to collaborate with the European Commission and with the competent Ukrainian authorities, in order to provide solutions both for the coming winter and also for rebuilding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a way that strengthens resilience and energy independence, alongside sustainability.”