President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen issues of energy security and the development of the security situation around Ukraine, according to the presidential website.
“The head of state informed the interlocutor about the development of the security situation along the borders of Ukraine and in Donbas. The president thanked the head of the European Commission for the consistent support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, as well as her clear position on the need to tighten EU sanctions in the event of an escalation of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The leaders agreed with the need to continue joint coordinated efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict,” the President’s Office said on its website.
Zelensky and von der Leyen reportedly discussed challenges for European energy security.
The sides also discussed preparations for holding an international energy business forum in Ukraine, which was agreed upon in November.
The head of state drew attention to the threats to Ukraine and all of Europe that the possible launch of Nord Stream 2 would create. The interlocutors coordinated steps aimed at integrating the unified energy system of Ukraine into the European ENTSO-E network.
Zelensky thanked von der Leyen for the financial support to Ukraine from the European Union and discussed areas for further cooperation.
In addition, the sides paid special attention to the prospects for the liberalization of road freight transport. Zelensky said the conclusion of an agreement on the liberalization of transportation services will help ensure further growth in trade between Ukraine and the EU.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the energy security strategy, which was developed on the basis of the national security strategy approved by decree No. 392 of President Volodymyr Zelensky dated September 14, 2020.
Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko said during a presentation of the document at a government session on Wednesday that the strategy identifies, in particular, 29 threats to energy security, the key of which are cyber threats, ongoing Russian aggression, wear of fixed assets, lack of energy reserves, the impact of climate change on the structure and energy consumption regimes, as well as issues of competition in the markets, staffing of the industry and development of scientific and technical potential.
“In accordance with this, three key scenarios have been identified, according to which the energy sector can develop, depending on the threats,” the minister said.
These are “no change,” “unfriendly influence” and “positive transformation” scenarios.
The “no change” scenario envisages, in particular, the preservation of the current trends in the formation and implementation of energy policy, as well as the principles of the functioning of energy markets.
The second scenario “unfriendly influence” is envisaged in the event of an increase in the external influence of Russia in order to gain control over the energy policy of Ukraine.
The third scenario “positive transformation” is aimed at the priority development of the country in terms of the irreversibility of its European and Euro-Atlantic course.
Haluschenko said the main goals of the strategy are, in particular, the availability of energy resources for consumers, the sustainability of the energy sector and its economic efficiency, the environmentally acceptable impact of energy on the environment, as well as the integration of the sector into the EU space.
The Energy Ministry of kraine intends to carry out annual monitoring of threats to the country’s energy security.
ENERGY, ENERGY SECURITY, ENERGY SECURITY STRATEGY, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
The Ukrainian President has established the Council of Experts on Energy Security, the press service of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) has reported.
“[NSDC Secretary Oleksiy] Danilov informed the audience that in order to ensure an effective response of the state to threats to energy security and identify strategic directions for the development of the state’s fuel and energy complex, taking into account the latest world trends, the President of Ukraine established the Council of Experts on Energy Security, which will be the highest advisory body for the Head of State and the National Security Council of Ukraine on energy issues,” the press service said.
Danilov said that to prepare recommendations for the Council of Experts and ensure its work, a working group on the development of the hydrogen economy has been set up at the Staff of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
“During the meeting, a number of measures were agreed to organize the effective work of the group in order to submit to the country’s leadership proposals for innovative approaches to the development of non-traditional energy sources,” the press service said.
The working group on hydrogen economy development should prepare and submit to the Council of Experts on Energy Security proposals on developing the hydrogen economy in Ukraine.
The NSDC Secretary stressed the urgency of developing the hydrogen economy: “This issue is extremely important in today’s world. Ukraine has great potential in this area, which we must use it.”
“Today we have specialists, resources, and investors. To get real results, we need to combine the efforts of science, business, and government,” he said.
Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK), a large global supplier of consulting and engineering services, has announced that that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded the company an $85 million contract to support enhanced energy security in Ukraine. “Tetra Tech will provide technical services to support private sector-led energy investments, increased renewable energy generation, and reliable and affordable energy for all Ukrainians,” the U.S. company said.
The company said that specific tasks include developing energy market models to create competitive energy market reforms, completing renewable energy pre-feasibility assessments, and developing creative financial incentive mechanisms to facilitate private sector investment in renewable energy.
Tetra Tech also will collaborate with local organizations in implementing the program to develop Ukraine’s institutional capacity, encourage ownership of results, and ensure sustainability of reforms. The company reminded that the five-year USAID/Ukraine Energy Security through Competitive Energy Markets Program aims to improve the legal and regulatory environment in the energy sector and increase the resilience of energy supplies in Ukraine.
CONTRACT, ENERGY SECURITY, ENGINEERING SERVICES, TETRA TECH, USAID
