Lithuania's uncertain future regarding energy

Lithuania gets most of its electricity from the Ignalina nuclear power plan, which under an EU regulation is to be shut down in 2009. Virginijus Savukynas asks what will happen after the plant closes: "Are we going to build a new nuclear power station or not: why are the politicians avoiding this question? When Ignalina disappears from the network, our power supplies will mainly be based on gas power stations. And as we all know these are mainly provided by our big uncle in the East, 'Gazprom'. Our economy is already 30 % dependent on gas, and by 2009 it will be 50 %. Let's imagine a situation in which Belarus blocks off the pipeline in the middle of the winter - what do we do? How long would our reserves last? How quickly could we get hold of oil? No one is answering these questions."

» full article (external link, Lithunian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Energy, » Lithuania, » Russia
All available articles from » Virginijus Savukynas

» To the complete press review of Friday, June 15, 2007