In a recent visit to Ukraine, the United Kingdom’s top nuclear energy official discussed providing uranium enrichment services to the embattled nation so its nuclear power plants can stay online this winter.
Grant Shapps, the U.K.’s energy security secretary, was in Kyiv just as London announced a $243 million loan allowing Urenco — a British-German-Dutch nuclear fuel consortium — to supply Ukraine’s national nuclear company, Energoatom, with uranium enrichment services, the U.K. government announced Aug. 23.
“Our support for Ukraine is unwavering in the face of Putin’s barbaric invasion – the UK continues to stand with Ukraine as they repel Russian attacks and rebuild their country,” Shapps said in the statement. “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 is the only uranium-enrichment company in the U.K., according to the statement. It has supplied Energoatom with enrichment and other services since 2009. Once provided, the support will bring the total of the U.K.’s non-military assistance to Ukraine to nearly $6.3 billion.
“Nuclear power generates over half of Ukraine’s electricity and the [U.K. Export Finance] support announced today is a move towards continuing to supply much-needed power as Ukraine defends itself and recovers from Russian aggression,” the British government said in the statement. “The support will strengthen Ukraine’s energy security and further isolate Putin by helping the country maintain its independence from Russian nuclear fuel.”
Urenco Chief Executive Boris Schucht said the company has already boosted uranium enrichment services to Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine for the second time, in February 2022.
“We have the capacity to meet current demand for uranium enrichment services and options to increase this to provide an enhanced offering globally,” Schucht said.
