Events & Public Engagement

Annual meeting of Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU)

The annual meeting of the DMDU Society brought together researchers and practitioners to explore robust strategies for policy and investment in the face of deep uncertainty. At the London meeting of this year (17. - 20.11.25), Lukas Schirren of the SHIELD team presented on "Stochastic Optimisation of Ukraine's Power Sector Reconstruction under Policy Uncertainty with PyPSA-Eur." The work reported early modelling results using an extended version of PyPSA-Eur that includes all Ukrainian sectors, with a particular focus on the implications of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on the transition of the low carbon power system in Ukraine. Participation in the DMDU community allowed SHIELD to compare its modelling with novel approaches to uncertainty, gather feedback on methods, and how to integrate uncertainty aspects into research.

World Hydrogen Week in Copenhagen

The World Hydrogen Week (7. - 9.10.25), organised by S&P Global, brings together policymakers, industry leaders, financiers, and researchers to discuss the global hydrogen economy. As part of the Rising Stars Programme for early-career professionals, Lukas Schirren of the SHIELD team was selected to attend and present initial findings on the role of hydrogen in low-carbon steel and fertiliser production in Ukraine. The presentation highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Ukraine's industrial future and the crucial role of decarbonising energy-intensive industries for integration into the European Union. Reconstructing the steel sector is particularly interesting given Ukraine's significant iron-ore resources, yet large-scale hydrogen production will depend heavily on the country's financial outlook. This was illustrated by comparing the substantial upfront investment required for conventional fossil-based steel plants with that for low-carbon, hydrogen-based steel production facilities.

3rd Annual Ukrainian Energy Transition Forum

On Friday, May 16, three members (Yaroslav Melekh, Lukas Schirren and Miguel Sanchez) of the SHIELD team took part in a high-level forum focused on the pressing challenges facing Ukraine’s energy system. The event gathered key stakeholders to exchange perspectives on the future of Ukraine’s energy resilience and its role in Europe’s energy transition.

Participants included representatives from both the UK and Ukrainian parliaments— Alex Sobel and Victoria Gryb—as well as Svitlana Andruschenko, Head of the Recovery and Reform Support Office at the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine. Financial institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) were also represented. Industry stakeholders, including DTEK (a major private investor in power generation) and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (from the steel sector), contributed to the discussion.

One of the panels focused on the role of hydrogen technologies and the strategic potential of initiatives like the Central European Hydrogen Corridor. This session featured contributions from the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council, Hydrogen Partners, the Green Resilience Facility, and the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine.

Throughout the forum, SHIELD team members had the opportunity to present the project, engage in dialogue with key actors, gather valuable feedback, and forge new connections to support the dissemination and impact of our research findings. Likewise, the forum allows members of SHIELD to know other projects in the presentation of their own developers’ voices, such as the GreenWest PtX cluster or the Central European Hydrogen Corridor, which show the relevance and impact the SHIELD project may have in future development.