EU to help Ukraine restore 4.5 GW of power generating capacity in upcoming winter - von der Leyen

BRUSSELS. Sept 19 (Interfax) - To help Ukraine maintain the resilience of its power generating infrastructure and restore 2.5 GW of its generating capacity in the upcoming winter, the European Union is proposing action in three areas, i.e. "repair, connect, and stabilize," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

"The objective is to address the immediate needs of the population while we make Ukraine's energy system more resilient in the long term. Overall, Ukraine needs 17 gigawatt of power capacity for this winter," von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol in Brussels on Thursday.

Some 80% of Ukrainian thermal and one-third of hydropower generating facilities have been destroyed, she said.

"This is where we will concentrate our repair efforts with the aim of restoring 2.5 gigawatt of capacity this winter. That is approximately 15% of Ukraine's needs," she said.

The EU will also continue coordinating all possible support from its members states through the civil protection mechanism, von der Leyen said. So far, they have sent over 10,000 power generators and transformers to the country, "and more help is coming," von der Leyen said.

"We export 2 gigawatt of electricity to Ukraine, which also covers roughly 12% of the country's needs for the winter" and is equivalent to the loss of power generation at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, von der Leyen said

On the whole, owing to repairs and the Ukrainian grid's connection to the European grid, the EU should cover over 25% of Ukraine's electricity needs in the upcoming winter, she said.

As concerns stabilization of power supply in Ukraine, the EU encourages efforts toward "boosting decentralized production of energy," von der Leyen said. "This includes rolling out more renewables in the country," she said. In particular, the EU has shipped solar panels to 21 hospitals across Ukraine, and eight of them should be fully equipped by the winter, she said.

The EU is also "working with Ukraine on cyber-awareness and cybersecurity" to make its power system more resilient, she said.

"These three objectives - repair, connect and stabilize - require significant financial support. Overall, we estimate that our support to Ukraine's energy sector since February 2022 amounts to at least 2 billion euros. That is a low estimate because it does not take into account all in-kind donations. Today, I can announce that we will make an additional amount of close to 160 million euros available for this winter. This includes 60 million euros in humanitarian aid for shelters and heaters, for example, and it includes around 100 million euros for repair works and renewables," von der Leyen said.