Infra Dig – Ukraine and Energy Security

For the final podcast in a series of 3, Dr Tim Stone CBE joins IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville to investigate the impact of the Ukraine invasion and energy security issues, before launching into the planned discussion on base-load technologies.

There are few people in the market with as all-encompassing a view on nuclear and the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, given Tim’s role as chair of the Nuclear Risk Insurers. He is also chair of the UK's Nuclear Industry Association.

In the podcast Tim says that: “The 4 nuclear sites that provide 50% of Ukraine’s power are still operating and they are currently… operating safely and sensibly.”

The invasion of Ukraine, Tim says, has added another “bolt of lightning” to the question over energy security which now centres on the “Russian hegemony of gas and oil” which “cannot continue”.

Tim says: “It has rattled cages all around the world in terms of thinking about energy security and sovereignty of energy and it has added more fire to the conversation over what should a sensible energy system in a country look like.”

The conversation moves on to the deployment of Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR), role that is to be played by hydrogen and – the holy grail for nuclear – fusion.