Lithuanian, Swedish Prime Ministers set NordBalt target

  • 2011-03-17
  • TBT Staff

The Swedish and Lithuanian prime minister discussed a variety of energy-related issues at the meeting. (photo: government of Lithuania.)

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius has announced that the NordBalt energy link, which will connect the Baltic and Scandinavian energy grids, will be complete by 2015.

The comments came following a meeting in Vilnius between Kubilius and his Swedish counterpart, Fredrik Reinfeldt.

"I can say it briefly: yes, we should have it by then. It is being carried out according to the schedule and I see no problems," Kubilius was quoted as saying after the event.

The Nordbalt project -- which is expected to cost more than 500 million euros, nearly 25% of which will come from EU funding -- will connect the two energy markets using an unwater cable.

The two prime ministers used the opportunity to discuss a number of energy-related issues, including Lithuania's plans to construct a new nuclear power plant to replace the one at Ignalina which was shut down last year.

Reinfeldt gave his tacit support for the project, which many fear will be faced with difficulties in the wake of Japan's recent nuclear disaster.

"It's also very important to say that all kinds of energy production have an environmental impact... So to say that just to shift over to fossil fuel is a better solution -- I would argue against, because there you will have more of the climate effects," he said.