Lithuania should consider building small nuclear reactors – PM

VILNIUS – As Lithuania's Ministry of Energy foresees the possibility of developing small nuclear reactors in Lithuania after 2030, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte agrees that such an alternative should be considered.

"Looking at the way technology is developing in the world, all options should be considered. This does not mean that this option will be accepted because there is still a very, very long way to go. But as a theoretical alternative, as an option, depending on how technology developers do, I think it should be on the table," Simonyte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday.

"In the overall context, that question will depend on the technology's acceptability and the answers that we will get from the trials that are being carried out by manufacturers and developers," she added.

The prime minister also points out that even if Lithuania were fully self-sufficient in terms of renewable energy, it would need "stabilizing resources".

"There are not many of them. Either it is gas, which is a fossil fuel with the CO2 footprint and so on, or it is some other solutions, like small nuclear reactors, for example," the prime minister said. 

On Wednesday, Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said political decisions would have to be made between 2028 and 2030 for Lithuania to have a low-power nuclear reactor around 2040.