Telford & Wrekin Council to move energy supply from Gazprom

Telford & Wrekin Council said it had been reviewing the authority's energy contracts

A council says it is "working with urgency" to change the energy supply to an industrial estate that uses gas from Russian company Gazprom.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, the Telford and Wrekin authority stated it inherited the supply in Newport.

Energy the council uses for running its buildings and operations "all comes through" another organisation "who don't use Gazprom services".

Shropshire Council said it was not supplied by a Russian energy supplier.

Suffolk County Council has said it would break away from its £10m contract with state-owned supplier Gazprom, held by its wholly owned company Vertas.

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Telford & Wrekin Council said as it had "seen the awful events in... Ukraine unfold", and the sanctions imposed on Russia, the authority had been reviewing its own energy contracts.

Cabinet member for finance, governance and customer services Rae Evans (Labour) said the energy it used for running the council's buildings and operations came through West Mercia Energy.

She added: "As part of our wider property portfolio, the council inherited the energy supply to an industrial estate in Newport which uses Gazprom gas and we are working with urgency to move this to another supplier.

"It may be a small part to play, but we will stand firm with those in... Ukraine and will do whatever we can to add to the economic pressures bearing down on [Russia's President Vladimir] Putin."

Shropshire Council said West Mercia Energy "and therefore" the authority "are in no way supplied by Gazprom, or any other Russian energy supplier".

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust confirmed Gazprom supplies it, but has not commented further.

On Monday, Shell announced it would end all of its joint ventures with Gazprom following the invasion of Ukraine.