Germany promises about 100 million euros to protect and rebuild energy infrastructure in Ukraine

The German government has promised an additional 195 million euros in support to Ukraine, about half of which is designated for the protection and rebuilding the country’s energy infrastructure, the ministry for economic cooperation and development (BMZ) announced in a press release. The funds are earmarked to protect the energy infrastructure shortly before the onset of winter, to repair war damage to the Ukrainian power grid and to help ensure that energy-efficient technologies are already being used and renewable energies are being expanded, said the ministry. The other half of the money is designated to support Ukrainian companies.

Germany puts up more money to support critical energy infrastructure because “heating and electricity are central to the resilience of the people of Ukraine, especially in view of the upcoming winter,” said Svenja Schulze, minister for economic cooperation and development. She said Germany would also support Ukraine in its journey to rebuild the country in a way that makes it more sustainable.

Germany has cooperated with and supported Ukraine in energy infrastructure development, especially since Russia’s invasion of the country in early 2022. At a conference in Berlin last year on the war-torn country’s financial assistance needs to rebuild its economy, chancellor Olaf Scholz said energy exports to western Europe are one of the pillars a future Ukrainian economy could rest on. Economy minister Robert Habeck aimed to relaunch the German-Ukrainian energy partnership with a visit to Kyiv in spring 2023. Associations from the German and Ukrainian renewable energy industry agreed to work together more closely to speed up the energy transition in both countries.