Generators to help Ukraine
7 May 2022
The UK government is providing a further 287 mobile generators to help the relief effort in Ukraine following Russia’s attacks on the country.
These latest machines, which have been sourced from Speedy Hire, follow an initial 569 generators that were supplied soon after the invasion in March. These were sourced from five other organisations, namely Generator Power, Electricity North West, Woodlands Power, SP Energy Networks and Finning.
The new consignment follows a request from the Ukrainian Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko who welcomed the previous shipment of generators by saying “the light will always win over darkness”.
This takes the total number of machines supplied by the UK government to 856. The units will help to run relief centres, hospitals, phone masts and water pumping stations, and are capable of powering the equivalent of around 8,000 homes.
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Putin’s atrocities have continued to escalate, and so we are ramping up our support to the Ukrainian people in their time of need. Our donation of a further 287 generators will ensure more essential services in Ukraine can keep running.”
The generators will be delivered to a Polish government hub. From there, the Ukrainian government and the country’s energy networks will distribute the machines across the country to where they are needed most.
Interestingly, as part of the relief effort, the UK government has also introduced two time-limited exemptions to its international fossil fuel support policy, one applying to Ukraine, and one to Eastern Europe.
This policy prevents the UK providing any new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas. The exemptions have been introduced to allow the UK to provide support for Ukraine’s energy and fuel needs.
The Government states that this will mean the UK can join international efforts to address the regional energy security impact of the crisis in Ukraine and quickly respond to requests for assistance.
These temporary measures could see the UK supporting Ukraine to ensure there is enough fuel for vehicles involved in food production and other basic services, and to help build up energy reserves ahead of winter.
However, the government says that longer-term solutions in the region, and globally, must focus on clean energy, to prevent long-term dependence on fossil fuels. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerability caused by a reliance on fossil fuels, it adds, and accelerating the shift to clean power generation is the most effective route to both climate and energy security.
