Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant

Visaginas nuclear power plant is a planned nuclear power plant project in Lithuania. It will be built at the site of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which according to Lithuania's accession agreement to the European Union should be decommissioned.

History

Discussions concerning building of a new nuclear power plant started in the 1990s and continued on 2000s. By the accession agreement to the EU, Lithuania took an obligation to decommission the reactors of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.

On 1 December 2005, during his visit to Estonia, Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas met withe the CEO of Eesti Energia, Sandor Liive to discuss Eesti Energia's participation in the nuclear power plant project.cite news
url = http://www.bbn.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=1aa62bcc-acae-4b16-acc6-b53a32a83c91
title = Lithuanian PM - Eesti Energia discuss plan to build new nuclear power station
author = Toomas Hõbemägi
publisher = BBN
date = 2005-12-02
accessdate = 2008-07-31] On 26 January 2006, in the conference in Vilnius the representatives of all three Baltic States discussed the realization study of construction of new Power Plant in this region. On 27 February 2006, at the meeting in Trakai, the Prime Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed a communiqué which invited state-owned energy companies in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to invest in the design and construction of a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania on the basis of agreed terms and conditions applicable to each party involved. On the basis of this communiqué, on 8 March 2006, the heads of Lietuvos Energija, Eesti Energia and Latvenergo during their meeting in Ignalina signed a memorandum of understanding on the preparation for construction of a new nuclear reactor in Lithuania.Cite journal
title = Three Baltic states say "yes" to nuclear energy
journal = ENS News
publisher = European Nuclear Society
issue = 12
date = April 2006
url= http://www.euronuclear.org/e-news/e-news-12/baltic-states.htm
accessdate =2008-07-31] On 8 December 2006, Poland was invited to join the project.Cite web
title = Ignalina NPP and the Prospects of Nuclear Energy in Lithuania
publisher = Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
url= http://www.euro.lt/en/lithuanias-membership-in-the-eu/ignalina-npp/
accessdate =2008-07-31]

On 28 June 2007, Lithuania's parliament adopted a law on building a new nuclear power plant, the formal start of a project.cite news
author = Nerijus Adomaitis
url = http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSL2870020520070628
title = Lithuania adopts law on new nuclear power plant
publisher = Reuters
date=2007-06-28
accessdate=2007-07-09] On 4 July 2007, the President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus signed the law and it became effective on 10 July 2007. The law also stipulated creation of a "national investor" to gain investments for the new nuclear power plant.cite news
author = Nerijus Adomaitis
url = http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSL2870020520070628
title = Lithuania adopts law on new nuclear power plant
publisher = Reuters
date=2007-06-28
accessdate=2008-02-25] The talks between the government and privately owned NDX Energija on the establishment of the "national investor" company started on 30 November 2007. The creation of the national investor—LEO LT—was agreed between the Government of Lithuania and NDX Energija on 20 December 2007.cite news
url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL2048635420071220
title = Lithuania agrees merged energy firm for nuclear plant
author = Nerijus Adomaitis
publisher = Reuters
date = 2007-12-20
accessdate = 2008-02-25] Lithuanian Parliament approved the agreement on 1 February 2008 and the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus signed the law on 12 February 2008.cite news
author = Nerijus Adomaitis, Patrick Lannin
url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL0179228820080201
title = Lithuania vote gives boost to nuclear plant plan
publisher = Reuters
date=2008-02-01
accessdate=2007-07-09] cite news
url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKWLB720720080214
title = Fitch release on Central European Power Sector
publisher = Reuters
date=2008-02-14
accessdate=2007-07-09]

On 15 November 2007, the environmental impact assessment program was approved. On 30 July 2008, the planned new nuclear power plant was officially named Visaginas nuclear power plant.cite news
url = http://www.world-nuclear-news.com/NN_Visaginas_recognised_with_nuclear_site_name_3007082.html
title = Visaginas recognised with nuclear site name
publisher = World Nuclear News
date=2008-07-30
accessdate=2008-07-31]

Technical description

Depending the findings of the environmental impact assessment, the capacity of the power plant would be 3,000 to 3,200 megawatts and it would consists of two reactors. Depending on the choice of reactor, the power plant can be built by 2015 or 2017 to 2018. The project is expected to cost around US$9 billion.cite news
author = Nerijus Adomaitis
url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL0544112420080605?sp=true
title = Lithuania targets 2015-18 for new nuclear plant
publisher = Reuters
date=2008-06-05
accessdate=2008-07-31]

Environmental impact assessment

The environmental impact assessment is carried out by the consortium of Pöyry Energy Oy and Lithuanian Energy Institute.cite news
url = http://www.world-nuclear-news.com/NN/Lithuania_awards_contract_to_study_environmental_impact_of_new_plant_050208.html
title = Study on environmental impact of new Lithuanian plant
publisher = World Nuclear News
date=2008-02-05
accessdate=2008-07-31] The EIA program was approved on 15 November 2007 and the EIA report was published on 27 August 2008. The whole EIA process is expected to be be finished in February 2009.

Project company

The project would be developed by the Visaginas Nuclear Plant Company, which will be set up by LEO LT. It is expected that LEO LT will own 51% of share while Latvenergo, Eesti Energia and Polska Grupa Energetyczna will get 16.3% each. This arrangement is to remain during the preparatory phase of the new plant project, after which it could be renegotiated.

References