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After attending an international conference “Challenge to Lithuanian Energy Sector: Waste of Possibilities or Making Use of the European Union Experience” on Wednesday, Mr Brazauskas told DELFI that, from a financial point of view, the construction of a new nuclear power plant would be unduly huge burden to Lithuania.

 

“Of course, given the worldwide extent there is a perspective of nuclear energy sector, however, our energy system is very small. (It is worthless – DELFI) that a small energy system thought by itself that given the current prices we could build a power plant in the capacity of 2000 MW from scratch. A kilowatt installed now costs up to 8 thousand USD in USA and Canada. Where can we take such money from? (…) I support the idea of a nuclear plant, but I have always been a realist. Given the current prices this is beyond Lithuania’s strengths. This is from an objective point of view and not because Brazauskas thinks so”, said he.

In addition, Mr Brazauskas does not think that the project of a new power plant could attract a strategic investor, which is the focus of discussions at the current Government.

 

“And who is a strategic investor? Jesus Christ? It is a real organization that may become a strategic investor in case it receives huge profit from that. And you should try to gain profit when your investment into the installed kilowatt amounts to 8-9 thousand US dollars”, explained the former prime minister.

 

He asserts that Lithuania would suffice to complete the construction in Elektrėnai, give the permission for the construction of a power plant to “GAZPROM” and, finally, import some electricity.

 

“It is necessary to complete the construction of a combined heat and power plant in Elektrėnai as soon as possible. “GAZPROM” should be given an immediate permission for the construction of a similar power plant in Kaunas with the regime of district heating. This would make the whole thermal economy and heat price of the city be reduced substantially. In such a way by buying part of electric energy for 20 years still we would be able to solve the problems”, said Mr Brazauskas after being asked what Lithuania, which would shut down the block of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant the coming year, should do.

 

DELFI reminds that “Lietuvos elektrinė” started building the ninth block in July of this year and the works are to be completed in 2012.

 

Furthermore, the patriarch of social democrats thinks that there are also no possibilities to increase the quantity of renewable energy in the whole balance of electric energy.

 

After all we are able to see from this conference that all the types of renewable energy sources make up 20-30 % of energy demand. In my opinion, it is unreal to have more. Where can we take it from? The second issue is investment. Do you know how much it costs to build a wind power plant and how much one installed kilowatt of a wind power plant costs? Five thousand litas or five times more than a gas-fired district heating block of a combined heat and power. Investment to the construction of a wind power plant cost five times more but here different energy experts talk about fantasies and no one comes closer to earth. It must be estimated how much it costs. Electric energy is expensive and it may be cheapened but not by making talks. We must combust what we are able to combust”, said Mr Brazauskas.

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