About the project
Strategic Hydrogen Integration for Effective Low-carbon Development
The ‘Strategic Hydrogen Integration for Effective Low-carbon Development’ (SHIELD) project is founded by the UK's Foreign Development and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) as part of Ukraine Resilience and Energy Security Programme (URES). This is a £1.7m FCDO-funded research initiative that focuses on assessing the potential of green hydrogen and ammonia within Ukraine’s energy system.
The primary objective of SHIELD is to provide decision support tools to assist the Ukrainian government in balancing its immediate energy needs with its longer-term energy transition goals. Thus, this research is designed to inform Ukraine's recovery efforts, offering strategic insights that can guide infrastructure development and policy formulation. Additionally, the findings from SHIELD may serve as a valuable resource for international organisations, enabling them to make informed investment decisions as part of Ukraine’s post-conflict recovery and development.
The project seeks to achieve these objectives by investigating the opportunities, challenges, and risks associated with Ukraine’s engagement in the green hydrogen and ammonia economy, with particular attention to the impact of geopolitical risks on investment, especially in light of the recent changes to Ukraine’s infrastructure. A key focus of SHIELD is the need to balance Ukraine's own energy security with its ambitions to become a key exporter of green hydrogen and ammonia to Europe, ensuring that domestic energy needs are met while capitalising on the country’s potential as a supplier of clean energy.
The project is being led by a consortium of experts from the University of Oxford, University College London, Imperial College London, and the Technical University of Munich, in collaboration with Kiev School of Economics. The Advisory Group will play a critical role in guiding the project and aligning its activities with Ukraine’s national strategies and the broader European energy transition.
Work Packages
The SHIELD project is structured into three main work packages: mapping the political economy of energy and hydrogen, implementing context-informed modelling, and providing policy advice.
WP1.1: Stakeholder and Use-Case Mapping
This work package involves identifying and mapping key stakeholders in the energy system, reviewing existing literature, policies, and laws, and conducting interviews to better understand the demand for green hydrogen and ammonia. It also prioritises which use-cases are most important, with a focus on green hydrogen's role in the UK’s energy goals.
WP1.2: Political Vulnerability, Security, and Risk Mapping
This part focuses on understanding the risks and challenges in Ukraine’s energy sector, such as political and security issues. Thus, this work package analyses how different risks could impact investment and energy security, helping identify opportunities to improve energy systems while considering geopolitical factors.
WP2.1: Financial Scenario Development
This work package analyses the financial landscape for hydrogen and ammonia projects, looking at investment opportunities and costs. It also examines how different policies can affect the financing of these projects, and provides recommendations on how to improve funding options.
WP2.2: Model Implementation
Here, geospatial and energy system models are adapted to Ukraine’s specific needs. This includes adjusting models that simulate hydrogen projects and integrating data about Ukraine’s energy systems to improve the accuracy of the simulations.
WP2.3: Simulation of Scenarios and Analysis
This part simulates different scenarios based on prior research and financial factors. It aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of hydrogen developments and how they could impact the Ukrainian energy system and its resilience, providing valuable insights for the government.
WP3.1: Write-Up and Dissemination
The final phase involves sharing findings with key stakeholders. It includes producing policy briefs, academic papers, and presentations to recommend viable hydrogen and ammonia development scenarios for Ukraine’s future energy system.
Acknowledgements
SHIELD project is founded by the UK's Foreign Development and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) as part of Ukraine Resilience and Energy Security Programme (URES*)
*The Ukraine Resilience and Energy Security Programme (URES) aim is to strengthen access to the European power grid; support more efficient use of energy; and decrease reliance on hydrocarbons. This will promote Ukraine's welfare and economic development, as energy security has been presented by the Government of Ukraine as a top priority in the lead-up to and aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The programme will support energy security for Ukraine and ensure that UK expertise and innovation continues to be made available for reconstruction efforts. The programme will deliver: generators (fossil fuel & solar) to increase resilience of key facilities; equipment and parts to repair the transmission system following Russian attacks; investment in green energy companies; grants for the development of green innovations; technical assistance and monitoring; plus contingency.