A delegation from the Ukrainian government visited Christ Church on Friday 25th April to discuss the country’s energy infrastructure and to meet Ukrainian students at the University of Oxford.
The delegation included the country’s Minister and Deputy Minister of Energy. Their time at Christ Church concluded a visit to the UK in which they attended the London International Energy Agency Summit and met both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
The event occurred exactly 100 days after the Ukrainian and British governments signed a 100 Year Partnership Declaration, establishing cooperation in defence, security, and trade between the two countries for the next century.
In particular, the agreement states that the two countries will cooperate in the development of sustainable energy. Accordingly, at Christ Church the delegation reviewed the Strategic Hydrogen Integration for Effective Low-carbon Development in Ukraine (SHIELD) project.
SHIELD is funded by the Foreign Office in the UK government and is part of Ukraine’s Resilience and Energy Security Programme (URES). It focuses on providing the country’s government with models that can be used to weigh wartime energy requirements with a long-term transition to renewable energy.
Herman Halushchenko, Ukrainian Minister for Energy, noted Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s coal-fired power stations and coal mines. He compared them to renewable energy refineries, which he stated were both quicker to build and more durable, since they were distributed over larger areas of land.
SHIELD is managed by Stephanie Hirmer, Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Science at Christ Church. She said: “Building a resilient energy system is not just vital for Ukraine’s recovery – it is essential for its long-term sovereignty, security, and prosperity.
“At a time when Ukraine is in the global spotlight, it is inspiring to see its leaders not just planning to rebuild, but reshaping their energy future. Their ambition to decarbonise and build resilience marks a true watershed moment – and through SHIELD, we are proud to support this.”
The ministers also met Ukrainian students studying for degrees at Oxford. Maryna Nosyk, a DPhil candidate in Experimental Psychology at Christ Church, said: “Major power cuts that the country faced last year affected not only the everyday routine but also the mental health of so many Ukrainians, which is hard to even estimate yet.
“That’s why it was incredibly interesting, enlightening and inspiring to be part of the discussion on the energy recovery plan for Ukraine, and to know that even though we are still fighting for our freedom, independence and sovereignty at the front line, there are plans and strategies that are being developed right now to recover our energy system after peace has been negotiated.”
