UW School of Energy Resources to Host Webinar on Ukraine Energy Crisis

The University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) will host a webinar exploring the current role of energy in Ukraine Tuesday, June 20, at 10 a.m.

The webinar will feature Serhii Averchenko, a former member of parliament and legislator of Ukraine, and Amiran Purtseladze, the chief specialist and project manager at SYNERGY, along with Eric Williams, the senior vice president and design authority at TerraPower.

The trio will discuss energy challenges in times of crisis; the difference between a traditional light water nuclear reactor and the Natrium nuclear reactors being developed by TerraPower; and approaches to building resilient energy infrastructure. The presentations will be moderated by Eugene Holubnyak, director of SER’s Hydrogen Energy Research Center, an energy expert and native of Ukraine.

“We wanted to take the opportunity to not only bring attention to these important issues and concerns that are unfolding before our very eyes in the world, but also to talk about our own efforts related to the issues discussed and what they mean for Wyoming,” Holubnyak says.

In addition to being a target of disruption, energy systems have been impacted dramatically throughout Europe. The webinar will examine these major shifts as well as delve into the increasing demand for new energy technologies.

“There have been major supply chain disruptions, increased energy costs for countries reliant on resources in the conflict region, and questions related to energy security,” Holubnyak says. “We will discuss strategies for rebuilding, including the need for bulk energy storage, and integrating a mix of energy including hydrogen.”

Time will be reserved at the end of the presentation for questions.

The webinar is free and open to the public, though attendees are requested to register at https://forms.gle/zeVqRKhKsr1tKGQa8.

Once registered, attendees will be emailed the webinar link no sooner than 24 hours before the start of the presentation. Registrants also may submit questions for the panelists in advance through the registration portal.

For more information, email Christine Reed, SER outreach director, at christine.reed@uwyo.edu.