The theme of today's meeting is energy networks' protection from natural and man-made disasters. Russia's brutal and illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused disaster and devastation across our region, with significant impacts on energy security.
Ukrainian thermal and renewable power stations have suffered massive damage as a result of Russia's war of aggression. Ukraine is now getting the equipment and financing needed to make the repairs for the next winter. The UK Government is making efforts to mobilise the UK power equipment industry to help.
Ukraine has learned the hard way about the urgent need for a more decentralised electricity grid, with an emphasis on small modular reactors and renewables. Ukraine's existing grid is highly centralised, making it vulnerable to the Russian attempts last winter to bring about total grid collapse by targeting long-distance, high voltage transmission lines and key nodal substations in a ruthlessly systematic manner. Russia then turned its attention to power generation, attacking every type of generation, except nuclear. Of course, Europe's biggest nuclear power station is under utterly reckless Russian military occupation. This is a lesson to be learned for all countries in the region with similar systems.
Putin's invasion exposed mainland Europe's over-dependence on Russian gas, with implications for affordability and security. The long-term solution is to address our underlying vulnerability to international fossil fuel prices by reducing our dependence on imported oil and gas. That is why the UK has worked with international partners to ban imports of Russian coal, oil, and liquefied natural gas. Reducing exposure to volatile oil and gas prices and Russian energy market manipulation depends on a faster transition to renewables and nuclear.
The UK has committed almost £140 million since the start of the conflict to help Ukraine respond to attacks on its energy infrastructure and support recovery efforts in the energy sector. This includes support from a £62 million, multi-year, energy resilience programme.
In the UK, the Government's Powering Up Britain strategy, published in March, sets out how the government will enhance the UK's energy security and seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition through a clear and consistent set of strategic objectives and a long-term policy framework.
