Ignalina (Visaginas)

New NPP in Lithuania will not cover demands for energy in all Baltic countries – Estonian expert

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

Andres Mäe, researcher of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Estonia, answered questions about prospects of energy security and nuclear industry of the Baltic region. (more…)

Ignalina NPP: first time an International decommissioning project finished in accordance with initial planned contract schedule and budget

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

The consortium of the Energiewerke Nord GmbH (EWN), Sintagma UAB and Ernst & Young Baltic UAB successfully completed in September 2008 the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) decommissioning management system and database (DMSD) project.

The joint team with subcontractors IBM and CORE2 provided all services according to the project schedule of 14 months. Beside the delivery of a comprehensive set of different IT equipment, an enlarged training of nominated INPP staff was performed. The project was financed by the International Ignalina Decommissioning Support Fund managed by the Central Project Management Agency with the overall value of 3.5 million EUR. (more…)

Abisala: Lithuania has lost the fight on Ignalina nuclear power plant

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Aleksandras Abisala, chief negotiator over the extension of the Ignalina nuclear power plant, who used to speak about the considerable growth of the possibility to reach an agreement on the extension of the operation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant, now claims that Lithuania has lost this fight.

After the last week”s European Council in Brussels, when the hopes concerning the extension of the operation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant diminished, Abisala admits that Lithuania has lost the fight, lrt.lt writes. (more…)

Energy-hungry Poland eyes nuclear plants

Friday, October 17th, 2008

WARSAW - Poland hopes to reduce its heavy reliance on coal, which produces harmful greenhouse gases, by building a few nuclear power plants by 2030, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak said on Thursday.

Pawlak’s ministry is currently working on a new energy strategy designed to meet the Polish economy’s booming demand for electricity and to modernize its communist-era power plants. (more…)

Lithuania nuclear referendum falls short

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

Vilnius - A referendum held in Lithuania to decide the future of the Baltic nation’s only nuclear power plant has failed to attract the necessary number of voters to be judged valid, official sources said on Monday. Lithuania agreed to close its Ignalina nuclear power plant by 2009 as part of its deal to join the European Union in 2004. A planned replacement, to be built jointly with Estonia, Latvia and Poland, is unlikely to be ready before 2015. (more…)

Lithuania wants EU aid or will keep nuclear plant

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

VILNIUS, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Lithuania may have to defy the European Union and keep its Ignalina nuclear power plant open beyond 2009 if the EU cannot help it assure energy supplies, the prime minister and economy minister said on Thursday.

Lithuania agreed under its EU entry treaty to close Ignalina, which has the same kind of reactors as at Chernobyl in Ukraine, where the world’s worst nuclear disaster happened in 1986. (more…)

Lithaunia nuclear project smaller than planned

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

VILNIUS, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The company leading work on Lithuania’s new $10 billion nuclear power station said on Thursday it would target capacity of 2,200 megawatts, lower than originally forecast.

A draft environmental impact study said the plant could be built to generate up to 3,200-3,400 MW, accommodating the demands of project partners Poland, Latvia and Estonia, all keen to lessen their dependence on Russian energy supplies. (more…)

Lithuanian hope for nuclear extension dashed by EU

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

BRUSSELS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Lithuania’s hopes of being allowed to extend the life of its Ignalina nuclear power plant were dashed on Wednesday by the European Commission.

In its treaty on joining the European Union in 2004, Lithuania promised to shut by the end of 2009 the second reactor at the plant, which is similar to Ukraine’s Chernobyl facility where the world’s worst nuclear disaster struck in 1986. (more…)

Ergma: Estonia should build nuclear plant

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

TALLINN - Estonian Parliamentary Speaker Ene Ergma has urged the legislature to consider the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country.

At the first meeting of the autumn session, the speaker said that the country needed a new power source in response to Russia’s use of energy supplies as a political tool. (more…)

Poland needs 1,500-2,000 MW a year of new power

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

WARSAW, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Poland needs to build between 1,500 and 2,000 megawatts a year of new power capacity to keep up with growing demand, an adviser to the economy minister said on Wednesday.
The country, which needs to increase capacity quickly to make up for years of abandoning investments and plant renovations, would be interested in building natural-gas fired plants, Joanna Strzelec-Lobodzinska said.
“The estimates show Poland needs to create between 1,500 and 2,000 MW in new capacities to keep up with growing demand and replace outdated technologies,” Lobodzinska told reporters. (more…)