Lithuania Considers Return to Nuclear Power After 15 Years

Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said the government is focusing on SMRs. Another type of reactor is a self-contained, factory-built unit that can be transported to the site and installed. Though several countries are developing SMR technology, only one country, Russia, and one other country, China, have it working.

"New, clean, secure" energy must be considered in order to guarantee the stability and sufficiency of fresh electricity supplies, the ministry added. Among areas of importance are the diversification of Lithuania's energy mix to satisfy domestic requirements."

Legacy of the Ignalina Plant
Lithuania's sole nuclear plant, in the eastern town of Ignalina, was shut down at the end of 2009. It was constructed during the Soviet period, and had RBMK reactors like those in the 1986 Chernobyl accident in Ukraine. Because of safety concerns raised by the European Union, Lithuania agreed to close the plant to join the E.U.

Designs for a new nuclear power plant near Ignalina were drawn up and were officially sent to the European Commission in 2011, but were scrapped after a non-binding national referendum revealed that the population was opposed to the idea.

Nuclear power, however, is still significant in Europe. In 2023, atomic energy contributed 22.8% of the European Union's electricity, and 12 EU countries had active nuclear reactors.

Regional Shifts Toward Nuclear Power
The interest in nuclear power has increased across Europe as countries look for energy security and alternatives to the Russian energy supply after the invasion of Ukraine. Lithuania's neighbour, Poland, has already signed an agreement with a U.S. firm to build its first nuclear reactor on the Baltic coast. It is scheduled to be built in 2028. There is also interest from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to include SMRs in Poland's energy mix.

But not every country is getting behind nuclear power. Germany started decommissioning its nuclear plants in 2002, speeding up the pace after the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011. The last three German nuclear plants were taken offline in 2023.

With the worldwide surge of interest in alternative energy sources, the country is now rethinking its decision to abandon nuclear energy, using modern, potentially safer technology.