LT : The Only Lithuanian Nuclear Power Plant Was Shut Down
Published on General news | January 5, 2010, 12:12
EU concerns about the design flaws of the Chernobyl-type plant led to its mandatory shutdown.
The shutdown of Lithuania's Soviet-built nuclear power plant took place late Thursday as agreed with the European Union, opening a period of energy uncertainty for the Baltic state.
This is bad news for the small country that experience harsh economic conditions, as the nuclear power plant produced cheap electricity, which must now be imported at higher prices.
Still, Arvydas Sekmokas, Lithuania's energy minister, is optimistic about the future of energy in his country. First of all, he says, we are complaining with the EU regulations. Secondly, he adds, we are taking a step forward in the electricity market and this will result in changing the planned energy production into a market-based system and as a result the consumers will take advantage.
Lithuania - which, alongside France, is one of the most nuclear-energy dependent countries - asked the EU to allow its operating of the plant for another two to three years.
The EU denied the request, offering instead more than $1.1 billion as a contribution to the costs of the shutdown.
Lithuania plans to inaugurate a new natural-gas power plant by 2013, but experts warn about the insufficiency of this move with respect to country's energy needs.
The closure of the small nation's nuclear plant takes place in the middle of the ongoing debate about ensuring a safe energy future for the European Union, as it relies heavily on Russian energy imports.
Dalia Grybauskaite, Lithuanian President, recently declared it was essential that all EU member nations cooperate with each other.
"Of course what is important in this turmoil environment is that energy policy and energy common efforts for all Europe are important to avoid a crisis what we do have on the ground and to avoid the possible future crises," she said. "No matter that we do not have formally that in [EU] treaties, it is only about good political will."
Besides Lithuania, other EU countries expressing concerns over energy safety are Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic which were threatened with a potential stop in Russian oil imports, provoked by a pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine. The crisis was averted after Moscow and Kyiv reached a new agreement this week
