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Thursday, 25.04.2024, 06:00
Lithuania's new energy strategy: halt of Visaginas N-plant project
According to the document, Lithuania will continue working
to ensure the country's energy security and synchronization of the Baltic power
grids with Western Europe. Furthermore, efforts will be made to evaluate the
threats of the Astravyets nuclear utility under construction in Belarus and buy
out the Independence vessel of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The strategy suggests bringing the Visaginas N-plant
project, which has not made any progress over the government's 2012-2016 term,
to a halt until it becomes economically beneficial in terms of market
conditions or become needed to ensure safe power supplies. Under the strategy,
cooperation potential with the project's main investor, Japan's Hitachi, should
be used in other areas.
The Energy Ministry suggests implementing the
Lithuania-Sweden link, NordBalt 2, and Lithuania-Poland interconnection, LitPol
Link 2, projects by 2025. Masiulis has said on a number of occasions that the
second link with Sweden could pull down the electricity prices in Lithuania, as
the Baltic states would get bigger amounts of cheaper Nordic power. Energy experts
have told that the second interconnection with Sweden could be also built
from Latvia.
Meanwhile, the second power link with Poland is needed for
the Baltic synchronization with Western Europe via Poland, they added.
Lithuania's Energy Ministry has listed buying out of the
FSRU Independence LNG terminal and the aim of securing European Union aid for
the purpose among the key courses in the gas sector. Masiulis has told BNS that
Lithuania would start buy-out negotiations with Norway's Hoegh LNG after securing EU support, adding that owning the ship
would allow cutting maintenance costs.
According to the strategy, Lithuania should complete tests
in the Baltic Sea by 2020 to be able to expand wind energy projects at sea
later on. Nevertheless, the ministry emphasized that construction of wind parks
in open sea should not raise electricity prices for consumers.
The document suggests raising quotas of land-based wind
power plants from 500 to 750 megawatts (MW), which also should not have an
effect on power prices for consumers.
The ministry expressed hope that renewable sources will
account for 35% of energy in 2030 and for 70 % in 2050. However, the latter
indicator would only be reached only in case of scrapping of the Visaginas
project.