Lithuania, EC Discuss Energy

Lithuania's energy minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas met with the vice president of the European Commission (EC) Maros Sefcovic responsible for the European Energy Union May 24.

Discussions included the long-term security of gas supply in the region, the necessity to ensure further smooth financing of the decommissioning of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, and the linking of the Baltic States' power systems with that of Poland, the ministry said May 30.

They also discussed the regional LNG import terminal question and long-term gas supply. Vaiciunas said that in May the prime ministers of the Baltic States would go on a tour of potential locations for additional LNG terminals in Estonia and Latvia as well as visit the sole functioning one at Klaipeda. There is also an LNG terminal functioning further down the coast to the west, in Poland.

While there is demand for more LNG bunkering, further LNG import terminals in the region are unlikely to receive funding from the EC, given the comparatively low use made of the present one, which is a floating regasification and storage vessel leased from Hoegh at a cost to Lithuania's industrial gas consumers. The EC has turned down one funding application from Estonia. Latvia also wants to have one.

It was noted during the meeting that the EC supports the idea of regional terminals and encourages the Baltic States to seek the economically most rational solution to ensure security of supply for the entire region, the ministry said.

William Powell