Academics from Aberystwyth are supporting Ukrainians to rebuild their energy system with a new geo-thermal plant in the west of the war-torn country.

Russia’s destruction of energy infrastructure has made the modernisation of Ukraine’s power grid a matter of extreme urgency.

Led by mathematicians from Aberystwyth University, the project team’s solution is based on the "Rebuild Ukraine Back Better" principle.

They are aiming for a decentralised system based on a network of small-to-medium generating capacities that are harder to disrupt and aid a green transition.

The scientists believe that new geothermal power could strengthen energy resilience and sustainable supply in Ukraine, as well as offering lessons for Britain.

Their plan is to build a state-of-the-art geothermal energy plant in Solotvyno, near the border between Ukraine and Romania.

High geological risks and the long exploration phase - typically 7 to 8 years – are the main factors that slow down such developments.

The consortium of researchers from the UK, Ukraine, and Poland aim to speed up the process of building the pilot plant - by at least two years - through the development of mathematical models of rock properties at a microscopic level.

Professor Gennady Mishuris from Aberystwyth University said: “Our aim is to revolutionise how geothermal energy is explored and deployed, specifically focusing on the rapid recovery and modernisation of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with enhanced geothermal systems.

“By combining world-class mathematical modelling with cutting-edge geomechanics and industrial expertise, we are not just solving a technical problem, we are building a decentralised, resilient, and carbon-neutral future for a nation in need.”

Aberystwyth University academics are working on the project, “Geothermal Ukraine – Making a Difference in Technology for Rapid Deployment” alongside south Wales-based Rockfield Software Ltd, Ukrainian gas producer JSC "Ukrgasvydobuvannya", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Poland’s Oil and Gas Institute, and Solotvyno Local Council in Ukraine.