Poland excluded from joint nuclear plant project?

Poland excluded from joint nuclear plant project?

Created: Tuesday, August 21. 2007

Poland’s place in a project constructing a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania might be taken by one of the Western countries, Lithuanian "Verslo żinios" business daily informs, quoting some anonymous sources of state institutions.

The newspaper reminds that the Poles are constantly unsatisfied with the division of shares of the planned power station. Lack of agreement on this matter delays the date of starting the construction.

According to an act of Lithuanian Parliament, Lithuania is to take 34 percent of the shares, and Poland, Latvia and Estonia 22 percent each. This division caused Polish hesitation whether to take part in the project or not.

The new nuclear power plant is to start operating in 2015. It is to take over the old one, still remembering soviet times, in Ignalin, which Lithuania agreed to close by the end of 2010, The planned power of the plant is to amount to 3.400 MW. This is by 200 MW less then originally planned. The project has been changed after Poland threatened to withdraw from the investment if the country does not receive 1/3 of the produced energy.