GovWire

Grant Shapps has visited Kyiv as the UK took action to support the supply of vital fuel for Ukraines plants to help power the country through the winter.

The Energy Security Secretary travelled to the capital to meet senior government ministers and leading energy industry figures to discuss Ukraines recovery and ongoing UK support following the illegal full-scale invasion by Putins Russia.

His visit comes just 2 months after the UK hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, where international commitments for Ukraines recovery and reconstruction topped $60 billion.?The UK government also agreed a Memorandum of Understanding committing support to Ukraines energy sector and green energy future.

During the visit on Tuesday, Grant Shapps visited a power station, a critical part of Ukraines national infrastructure, that has been badly damaged by Russian bombing and is now undergoing repairs.

The Energy Security Secretary was later shown around a kindergarten attended by Nikita, the young son of the family he took in under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was also damaged by Russian shelling. The children performed a song before Mr Shapps played them a recorded message from Nikita.

The visit came as the UK announced its intention to provide a 192 million loan guarantee through UK Export Finance (UKEF) the UKs export credit agency enabling UK-headquartered Urenco to supply Ukraines national nuclear company,?Energoatom, with uranium enrichment services, a vital part of nuclear fuel, which will help power Ukraine.

Once provided, the support will bring?the total of the UKs non-military assistance to Ukraine to nearly 5 billion.

Nuclear power generates over half of Ukraines electricity and the UKEF support announced today is a move towards continuing to supply much-needed power as Ukraine defends itself and recovers from Russian aggression. The support will strengthen Ukraines energy security and further isolate Putin by helping the country maintain its independence from Russian nuclear fuel.

Urenco, renowned for nuclear enrichment services, has been a supplier to Energoatom and Ukraine since 2009. The support announced today will enable the further supply of services, with a significant portion of the deliveries coming from the UK - supporting specialist manufacturing jobs in the North West and Wales and the Prime Ministers priority of growing the economy.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps?said:

Our support for Ukraine is unwavering in the face of Putins barbaric invasion - the UK continues to stand with Ukraine as they repel Russian attacks and rebuild their country.

Being here on the ground, its truly remarkable witnessing first-hand the sheer courage, resolve and gritty determination of the Ukrainian people.

Putin has used energy as a weapon of war: the action today to support nuclear fuel deliveries will help Ukraine end their reliance on Russian supplies and bolster their energy security.

Urenco CEO Boris Schucht said:

We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing developments in Ukraine and our thoughts are with the people suffering as a result of the conflict.

Since the start of the invasion, we have provided support to our customer, Energoatom, and its employees, and increased our supply of nuclear enrichment services to help provide energy independence and security of supply in Ukraine.

We are actively discussing longer term supply with Energoatom and are ready to play our part in supporting their future.? We have the capacity to meet current demand for uranium enrichment services and options to increase this to provide an enhanced offering globally.

Collaboration from governments, such as in the UK with this agreement, is critical to facilitate this, as well as with customers and the wider nuclear industry, and we will continue to do all we can to play a valuable role.

During the visit, the Energy Security Secretary met Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Minister for Energy German Galushchenko to discuss the UKs support for Ukraine recovery.

Mr Shappss visit also comes just days before Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day, celebrating its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

In Kyiv, Grant Shapps met Energoatoms President Petro Kotin to discuss Urencos vital role in supplying nuclear fuel to Ukraine. The Energy Security Secretary also met other Ukrainian energy company leaders to discuss their critical efforts in keeping the lights on for the Ukrainian people and in the recovery.

Todays news follows the G7 Energy Ministers meeting in Sapporo Japan, at which the UK, US, Canada, Japan and France agreed a new nuclear fuel alliance to leverage their respective resources and capabilities of each countrys civil nuclear power sectors to undermine Russias grip on supply chains and displace Putin from the international nuclear energy market.

Urenco is the only uranium enrichment company in the UK and is a key part of the governments plans to rapidly expand nuclear power to provide up to a quarter of all the countrys electricity by 2050, through supporting a resilient nuclear fuel supply chain for the UK and its key international partners.

UKEF support will be provided through a back-stop / guarantee with funds released by partner banks once financial terms are agreed.

Notes to editors

Images from the Secretary of States visit to Kyiv, Ukraine are availab

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