Ministry of Foreign Affairs sends new electrical equipment to Ukraine to alleviate electricity outages

 

The announcement of this donation takes place today within the framework of the Conference “Solidarity with the Ukrainian People”, being held in Paris, and responds to the consequences of the war in that country, where it is estimated that 70% of the Ukrainian citizens currently find themselves below the poverty threshold and more than 10 million people have no access to a regular and stable electricity supply.

 

The role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be carried out through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), which will collaborate with the transportation of the material donated by Red Eléctrica. This comprises a total of 163 items of reconditioned equipment, in perfect condition, for electricity sub-stations. These items are essential for the smooth functioning of the high voltage transmission system. All of this equipment will help Ukraine to restore and maintain its transmission system in service, and will thus provide significant support to the electricity supply in the country.

 

Specifically, Red Eléctrica will donate 107 current transformers and 28 voltage transformers, two elements that help manage the security of the transmission network, 26 lightning arrestors —protection equipment against the impact of lightning— and two isolators —electro-mechanical equipment that allows electrical circuits to be mechanically isolated in order to carry out maintenance work.

 

This aid completes the donation of 14 generators announced during the recent visit to Kiev by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, in November, and provided by Spanish Cooperation, and is framed within the emergency humanitarian response plan for Ukraine set in motion at the end of February 2022 by the Ministry via AECID, which already amounts to more than 37 million euros (32 million euros from AECID, in addition to support from other ministries and regional and local governments).

 

Electricity supply disruptions are affecting heating systems in homes and other buildings for civilian use in Ukraine, along with the provision of administrative and basic social services such as health and education. This is all taking place against the backdrop of the start of a winter which is expected to be particularly harsh, with temperatures that could fall as low as minus 20.

 

This donation also represents an alliance with the business sector to offer a response to the serious humanitarian crisis affecting Ukraine. Since the start of the crisis, the Spanish business sector has shown commendable sensitivity and solidarity, and has made numerous donations and offered to support the Government in whatever it may need.

 

At the Paris Conference, Spain will also announce that, following the emergency response in 2022, Ukraine will become a priority humanitarian context for Spanish Cooperation in 2023, and AECID will launch a program to support early recovery and resilience in the country, in collaboration with multilateral partners.

 

The aim of this conference is to coordinate European efforts and those of third countries to streamline donor coordination and provide Ukraine with the humanitarian aid needed in a more effective and efficient manner, with the aim of mitigating the hardships of winter and their impact on Ukrainian citizens. Spain is represented at this conference by the Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Antón Leis.

 

Spanish Cooperation has set up a specific microsite on the AECID website with useful information for channeling aid from individuals, companies and institutions, so that it reaches and is useful. Links of interest, recommendations from international organizations and direct contacts at development NGOs will be updated in real time at the following link: Microsite AECID How can I help Ukraine?​