"I am delighted that we are able to help our colleagues in Ukraine, who are suffering greatly from the war, with our materials. This is a matter of course for us. We are not only helping the water supplier in Kherson, but also the local people by getting the wastewater and drinking water networks back into operation as quickly as possible," said Urs Reitis, Managing Director of BonnNetz. He also expressed his special thanks to the BonnNetz employees who are in charge of coordinating the future aid. SWB's Purchasing department also provided significant support in the tendering process and the procurement of materials and equipment.

Bonn's Lord Mayor Katja Dörner added: "I am delighted with the commitment of Stadtwerke Bonn, in this case BonnNetz. It's great that, in addition to our municipal partnership, a partnership has also been formed between companies in both cities. It can be a model for further commitments, and we can see today that it works. The people in Kherson are still dependent on our help in Bonn," says Katja Dörner.

"We are delighted to have gained Bonn Netz as a committed partner for our project. It is of great importance to support Ukraine in these difficult times with the restoration of critical infrastructure. The main goal of this partnership is to help the Ukrainian water operator Chersonvodokanal, which is suffering greatly from the war of aggression, to continue its daily work through targeted procurements. In the long term, however, it is equally important that the partnership continues to develop and that the focus is on the exchange of technical experience," says Heiko Heidemann, Project Manager of the Operator Platform for Strengthening Partnerships of Municipal Enterprises Worldwide (GIZ).

The city, which was badly damaged by the Russian war of aggression, currently lacks the necessary materials, but the employees of "Kherson Vodo Kanal" are risking their lives to restore the drinking water supply bit by bit and repair as many leaks as possible. The city has not only suffered damage from attacks, but also from the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. The water from the large dam flowed through Kherson and swept away everything that could not withstand it.

The Bonn aid delivery consists of two parts. Thanks to the federal government's funding of around 100,000 euros, it was possible to procure new pressure-reducing/pressure-retaining valves, gate valves, non-return valves, hammer drills, demolition hammers, fire hoses, ladders and a mobile power supply, among other things. In addition, BonnNetz donated the staff hours spent as well as material from its own stock, including drinking water pumps and IT equipment such as laptops and monitors.

At the end of February, a delegation from Kherson visited BonnNetz and SWB Bus und Bahn. The guests from the Black Sea came to the German capital to reinforce the solidarity partnership between Bonn and Kherson and to exchange views on emergency aid and long-term reconstruction and to gain an insight into Bonn's infrastructure.

Among other things, they visited the SWB Bus and Rail traffic control center on Thomas-Mann-Straße and the Haus der Netze on Karlstraße. Urs Reitis informed the Ukrainian guests about the creation of local grids, energy management as well as water and heat supply in the federal city. The delegation participants were particularly interested in Stadtwerke Bonn's efforts to make its energy supply climate-neutral in the future, as sustainable energy supply will also be a focus of the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. The new hydrogen-capable turbine was also presented during a tour of the northern combined heat and power plant. The plans for a river heat pump on the Rhine were also explained at the time. An idea that could also be implemented in Kherson, as the city is located on the large Dnipro River.