Ukraine to receive 500 generators from UK in efforts to keep electricity flowing
Image credit: Dreamstime
The UK government has unveiled plans to send more than 500 portable generators to Ukraine in order to help provide electricity to power essential services such as hospitals and shelters.
The donation follows direct requests from President Zelenskyy in recent discussions with the UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.
The UK government has created a dedicated taskforce, including distribution network operators and the Energy Networks Association, to source and send the generators to Ukraine, which could provide enough to power around 20,000 homes or equivalent buildings.
Some of Ukraine’s key facilities including hospitals, shelters and water treatment plants have lost power during the ongoing Russian invasion. Russian forces have attacked some key infrastructure during the invasion, including a high-voltage power line that links to the Chernobyl nuclear plant.
Ukraine recently told the UN nuclear watchdog that staff operating radioactive waste facilities at Chernobyl have stopped carrying out safety-related repairs as they are exhausted, having not been relieved since Russia first seized the site last month.
Johnson said: “We are seeing the tragic consequences in Ukraine from Putin’s grave mistake every day and we will continue to do everything we can to support Ukraine’s resistance against this illegal invasion through economic, diplomatic and humanitarian measures, as well as providing defensive military equipment.”
Foreign secretary Liz Truss said: “Putin’s inhumane efforts to knock out Ukraine’s power supplies are wreaking more misery on millions of innocent civilians. The UK is stepping up and providing generators that will keep hospitals running and ensure the supply of food and water. We will keep the lights on in Ukraine.”
The generators will be provided by UK commercial suppliers, who will provide their available stocks of generators to the effort. It is expected that suppliers will be able to deliver a large proportion of these generators to Ukraine via neighbouring countries.
The Ukrainian government and the country’s energy networks will distribute the generators to areas of need across the country, ensuring they reach those who need power the most.
Earlier this month, a vast array of firms from across tech and engineering pulled out of Russia in response to the invasion.
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