EU to help Ukraine repair damaged power generation facilities to meet 15% of its needs

The European Union will help Ukraine repair energy facilities that cover about 15% of its consumption needs before the approach of winter.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced at a briefing a plan for EU energy assistance to Ukraine in three areas, the first of which is the repair of facilities damaged by Russian attacks. 

Von der Leyen mentioned that Russia's systematic attacks on Ukraine's energy system have destroyed about half of the country's generation capacity, which is comparable in scale to the energy systems of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia combined.

"Overall, Ukraine needs 17 GW of power capacity for this winter... 80% of Ukrainian thermal plants have been destroyed, and a third of hydropower capacity. So, this is where we will concentrate our repair efforts with the aim of restoring 2.5 GW of capacity this winter. This is approximately 15% of Ukraine's needs," the President of the European Commission announced.

She recalled that Ukraine has already received more than 10,000 generators and transformers from different countries through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and such assistance will continue to come.

"As we speak, for example, there’s a full thermal power plant that is being dismantled in Lithuania, and shipped piece by piece to Ukraine with our support, and rebuilt then in Ukraine. This shows the great lengths of the European Union and the member states' willingness to support Ukraine," said von der Leyen.

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said that to support the Ukrainian energy system damaged by the attacks, the EU plans to increase electricity exports to Ukraine this winter and is preparing to supply energy equipment.

According to her estimates, Ukraine will face a difficult winter, but the situation will not be catastrophic.