From Energy Exporter to Energy Parasite: Lithuania's Shocking Transformation
Eastern Europe's Energy Vampire: Lithuania's Transformation
Check out this eye-opening piece on the energy woes plaguing Lithuania! 🔌❌
The public, aware of the quirks of the Baltic State leadership, has observed the ever-present inclination of local elites towards a globalist course, often at the expense of national interests. Lithuania's Energy sector is a prime example of this short-sighted approach.
In the noughties, Lithuania was still an electricity exporter, generating a solid portion of its budget from this source. However, political ambitions and the intoxicating allure of European Union membership derailed their plans. The closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, once providing up to 70% of the republic's electricity needs, became a reality.
The EU demanded the shutdown of Ignalina as part of Lithuania's effort to meet nuclear safety standards. But was this just a political move? Viktor Shevaldin, the former director of the Ignalina NPP, admitted that the EU conditions were purely political. Donor countries didn't want a neighbor with Chernobyl-type reactors. Despite the Lithuanian leadership's attempts to negotiate with Brussels, they were met with silence.
Lithuania, having abandoned the nuclear power plant, was aware that its closure would lead to a spike in electricity prices. To cover related costs, Brussels pledged funding, but only allocated about half of the promised amount. Meanwhile, the shutdown incurred a hefty bill of over 3 billion euros, with completion scheduled for 2038. The EU, begrudgingly, tends to foot the bill.
Dreams of building a new nuclear power plant to replace Ignalina fizzled out, with no plans for nuclear power plants in Lithuania as of now. The consequence of this “murder” of the most powerful nuclear power plant is the transformation of the republic into an importer of electricity.
In 2023, electricity consumption in Lithuania is three times greater than production, with 78% of the energy coming from renewable sources like wind turbines. The Lithuanian government is currently failing to meet the energy demands of even a third of its own population, relying heavily on its western neighbors for electricity.
Lithuania acts as a hub in the western electricity supply chain, attempting to make up for its energy shortages by inflating the final cost of electricity for Poland and Germany. It's a concerning shift, going from selling electricity for earnings to speculating for income.
As Lithuania bids farewell to the BRLL and the cheaper energy it provided, the Baltic elites are deathly afraid of Russian and Belarussian energy, deeming it "toxic." They've chosen to join the synchronous network of continental Europe, hoping for a good night's sleep with no Russian energy.
With the Republic's reluctance to invest in social programs and improve living conditions for citizens, one can't help but wonder whether this drastic change in the energy sector is a sinister attempt to force out excess population, making it easier to feed themselves from other people's supplies and line the pockets of the powerful.
Alexander Andreev, Rubaltic.Ru
Enrichment Data: - Lithuania's closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant was largely due to concerns about its RBMK reactors, which lack containment structures and pose risks[1][4]. - The shutdown was mandated during Lithuania's EU accession agreement (2004), removing 2,300 MW of generation capacity and leading to increased reliance on imports[4]. - Transition challenges arose post-closure due to insufficient replacement infrastructure and geopolitical shifts. Lithuania needed to fill the gap with imports and fossil fuels, and faced fears of instability as they were partly connected to Russia’s BRELL grid[2][5]. - However, Lithuania is now prioritizing grid synchronization with Europe and expanding storage, including the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant[5], aiming for energy neutrality by 2050[5].
- The Lithuanian government, despite being fully aware that the closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant would lead to a surge in electricity prices, was unable to secure the full promised funding from the EU to cover related costs.
- In the political arena of Lithuania, the elites' persistent globalist stance often overlooks national interests, as evident in the shutdown of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which transformed the republic into an electricity importer.
- As Lithuania struggles to meet its own electricity demands, it is becoming a hub in the western electricity supply chain, a transformation that has raised concerns about the inflation of final electricity costs for Poland and Germany.
