The European Union urgently wants to connect Ukraine to its electricity network

The European Union (EU) will urgently connect its power grid with Ukraine. The energy ministers, who met in Brussels on Monday, February 28, gave their political assent to the request of the Ukrainian authorities. “Ukraine must be able to defend itself and allow its people to face the Russian invasion. Ukraine needs energy.”, Barbara Pompeii, French Minister for Environmental Change, said after the meeting. Ukraine faces the risk of a blackout in its power system, the consequences of which could be catastrophic in the midst of the Russian invasion.

This connection is far from a new idea, which has been in operation since the mid-2000s. “But there is no political will to take action.”, Explains Simon Tagliabedra of the Brooklyn Thought Group. The war accelerated the movement. On the day of the Russian invasion, Ukraine conducted a long-planned test to prepare for the planned network synchronization in 2023. “Disconnected” Then must operate in isolation from the Russian network, and therefore in its own capabilities. Ukrainian officials did not want to return to the Russian network at the end of the exercise – due to the invasion – so sent this urgent request to the EU.

Today, while Ukraine lives in electric “isolation”, the ball is in the court of the European Network of Electricity Transmission System Operators (Entso-E). He will assess the technical possibilities of the operation and the potential disruption of this connection to the European power system, for example if the Ukrainian electrical infrastructure is damaged during the bombing. “But Entso-E thinks this connection is possible and we will help Ukraine to set it up.”, Said Kadri Simpson, European Commissioner for Energy. It can happen from here “A few days or a few weeks”She added.

The challenge of energy independence

The other is bigger Care European ministers are concerned about Russia’s dependence on gas, which supplies 43% of the EU’s imported gas. It’s an addiction “Funds military occupation பொ Joseph Borel, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, also recalled.

Russia could well block the flow of gas to the European Union. Barbara Pompey wanted to promise: “In the immediate future, there is no risk to supply security.” First, the amount of gas from Russia has been declining for several months already. Then, as winter is now, relatively mild, energy requirements are lower.

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