Lithuania shuts down nuclear plant
Lithuania closes Chernobyl-style facility which supplies 80 percent of the country’s electricity; closure is a condition of EU membership
Lithuania last week shut down its single Soviet-era nuclear power plant — a facility which supplies up to 80 percent of the country’s electricity but must go as a condition of the country’s membership of the European Union.
VOA reports that the Ignalina plant in Visaginas opened twenty-six years ago, and critics of the closure say it is still good for another ten to fifteen years with a “minute” risk of an accident.
The EU is adamant, though, and is providing €820 million to cover some of the decommissioning costs.
For Lithuania, the shut-down will mean higher electricity prices and dependency on Russia for much of its energy needs.
