noticed white smoke rising from the Astravyets nuclear power plant and became concerned - was this not a sign of an incident at the plant the Radiation Protection Center (RSC) reassures: this is not smoke but ordinary water vapor rising from the cooling towers warm water is cooled and evaporated in cooling towers during the technological process which Lithuanian residents may confuse with smoke," the Radiation Protection Center explains in a statement RSC informs that this process is normal and harmless and the radiation safety situation in the region is currently stable Specialists also emphasize that the RADIS early warning and information system is constantly operating in Lithuania which allows recording even the slightest changes in radioactive substances in the air "The environmental dose rate measurement results provided by the RADIS system are constantly monitored Residents would be informed immediately of any imminent danger related to the spread of radioactive materials in the environment," notes the RSC The white clouds rising above cooling towers are condensed water vapor This image can often be seen above large power plants but simply a natural result of heat exchange Specialists urge the public to remain calm and not give in to misleading visual information If you have questions or suspicions about a possible threat it is worth first trusting the information from official institutions which currently confirm that there is no threat to the environment or human health reproduction and distribution are permitted only with the written consent of UAB "Naujosios medijos grupė" The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) has approved the preliminary report on the peer review of the new Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astravets Adopted by consensus late yesterday (3 March) this report follows a mission by ENSREG technical experts to the site carried out on 9 and 10 February The preliminary report reviews the measures implemented by Belarus with regard to seven issues and related recommendations from the 2018 ENSREG stress test report which were identified as a priority by the peer review team based on the information made available and the site visit progress has been made in implementing all recommendations related to the seven priority issues.  The adoption of this report brings to a close the first phase of the ongoing peer review The second phase will cover all the other recommendations and will include another ENSREG experts’ visit to the nuclear power plant as soon as the pandemic situation has improved The final report of the peer review will be completed and published based on an analysis of the progress on remaining recommendations The EU methodology for stress tests was developed in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 Belarus is participating in the process on a voluntary basis The Commission will continue to engage with Belarus to ensure that the highest level of safety is guaranteed in the process of commissioning the nuclear power plant The safety of nuclear installations in the EU and in neighbouring countries is a top priority of the European Commission and of the EU’s national nuclear safety authorities On May 25, the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), in Belarus, finished receiving nuclear fuel for the initial load of its first reactor (Belta are now ready to be loaded into the reactor If all continues to proceed according to plan the first reactor will be started up in July with initial output expected in September/October and the second reactor will start operating in 2021 This dispute has also impacted Belarus’s wider relations with the European Union as Vilnius has vetoed the signing of partnership priorities between Minsk and the EU citing safety concerns over the nuclear power facility The Astravets NPP will be a 2,400-megawatt-electric (MWe) plant an affiliate of Russia’s state-owned Rosatom The plant is being financed by Russia with a state loan of up to $10 billion for 25 years and Moscow is footing 90 percent of the contract This NPP is not the first of its kind proposed in Belarus: during the 1980s there were plans to build a nuclear power plant in Rudensk This was a marked change of tone from previous Lithuanian attempts to prevent the NPP from going ahead and could signal small steps toward a constructive middle ground thus opening the door for closer EU-Belarusian relations Many issues are left to address before Lithuania accepts the Astravets NPP and it will likely never fully approve of the plant due to its location Lithuanians seem wary of nuclear power in general defeating a government proposal to open an NPP in Visaginas the Lithuanian authorities ran a major emergency preparedness operation imitating a disaster response to a nuclear meltdown The government also purchased four million iodine pills to be distributed to its citizens These moves to warn a population about the dangers of Astravets will be difficult to backpedal from reluctant acceptance that the NPP is now nearly complete and the encouraging signs of dialogue between Minsk and Vilnius in turn creating fresh possibilities for boosting Belarus’s relations with the EU Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot Get the most important global markets news at your fingertips with a Bloomberg.com subscription The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR MOU) warned that the russian special services are preparing to carry out a provocation at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant russia put official Minsk before such fact "Citizens of NATO countries and Ukraine are traditionally designated as responsible for terrorist attacks who will apparently be disguised in Belarusian military uniforms the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the border troops have already been put on high alert," the HUR MOU said in a statement Just such a "terrorist attack" should become a "trigger" for Belarus to enter the war on russia’s side Other alternative or parallel options are facilities in the Grodno and Brest regions But the main feature of the Belarusian NPP is that it is located 20 km from the border with Lithuania The probability that russia’s FSB or another special service is preparing a "terrorist attack" can be based on the location of the object during the construction of the Belarusian NPP numerous cases of violations of construction and safety conditions were recorded And the most egregious case is the incident on July 10 when during the rehearsal of the reactor housing installation (334 tons) of the first power unit it was announced that the reactor would be replaced and that the spare reactor was intended for the Baltic NPP in Kaliningrad Oblast the construction of which was stopped in 2014 the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant is legally recognized in Lithuania as an object that threatens national security Lithuania may decide that any russia’s provocations at this object threaten the country It should also be noted that conscripts in Belarus are being warned about mass training to be held at the end of the year Belarus has initiated the first chain reaction in its controversial Astravyets nuclear power plant, which has been opposed by Lithuania and the whole Baltic region, US broadcaster Radio Free Europe reports «This marked the beginning of the reactor’s life cycle,» the Belarusian Energy Ministry said on its Telegram channel on Sunday Erected by Russian state firm Rosatom and financed by Moscow with a loan of 8.5 billion euros the Astravyets nuclear power plant project has been strongly opposed by neighbouring EU members Lithuania and Latvia because of its proximity to the border and secrecy of the project to international nuclear experts Read also: Prime Minister: if Astravyets NPP comes online, Latvia will cease energy trade with Belarus the power plant’s two VVER-1200 type reactors will produce up to 2,400 MW of energy The Belarusian Energy Ministry stated in its latest update that a fission chain reaction at one of two reactors was brought to a minimum controlled level The reactor will undergo several tests to confirm safety and reliability and then it is planned to start energy production and include the unit in the country’s energy system UPDATE: Belarus admits need to ‘correct operations’ at nuclear plant after reported incidentAccording to Ecohome (Ekodom) the cooling system of the first reactor was damaged No Belarusian media or official institution has so far issued any comments regarding the alleged incident “Due to an unopened valve, when pumping out the [cooling liquid] at the end of the tests, the tank of the emergency cooling system of the first reactor was damaged,” Ecohome said in a statement on November 30 but since replacing the tank would amount to admitting an incident we have a ‘hot’ reactor with an abnormally functioning (at best) backup emergency cooling system,” it said Ecohome said they started receiving information about an incident at the plant from several unrelated sources in September and October The non-governmental organisation asked the Belarusian authorities for more details but was informed by them on October 13 that no incidents had been recorded at the plant Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry told LRT.lt that appropriate authorities have turned to Belarus for more information No increase of radiation was detected in Lithuania Read more: Incident reported at Belarus nuclear plant days after launch And although the previous incident reported at the plant was only technical the one reported by Ecohome would be directly associated with the “nuclear part of the plant” told LRT.lt.“This incident is related to the threat posed by the Astravyets NPP as a nuclear object,” he said.In May this year Lithuania and Belarus signed a bilateral accident notification agreement the unreported incidents show that the deal is not working Lithuania’s State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) previously told LRT.lt that the agreement did not require the parties to inform each other about non-nuclear incidents.Meanwhile it remains unclear if the accident reported by Ecohome took place at all the important question is why [Lithuania’s] institutions were not informed and the information was hidden” said Tomas Janeliūnas from Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI) If Belarusian authorities did conceal information about the incident “this would be the worst sign” that official information coming from Minsk cannot be trusted Lithuania has been one of the most ardent critics of the plant built by the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and funded by a loan from the Kremlin Vilnius maintains that the plant is unsafe recommendations of the European Union’s stress tests have not been implemented and it fails to meet international safety standards Read more: LRT English Newsletter: Belarus goes nuclear, Lithuania goes ballistic Why does Lithuania say that Astravyets NPP is unsafe Lithuania’s State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) provides three main arguments as to why the Astravyets NPP is unsafe the location is not suitable for the project the environmental impact assessment set out by the UN’s Espoo convention has not yet been finished the nuclear power plant in Belarus does not meet modern security requirements resilience to the impact of a heavy aircraft crash has not been assessed The inspectorate also pointed out a low level of security culture. Belarusian and international media reported several incidents at the construction site, which the authorities attempted to deny or cover up.Read more: Lithuanians stage mock evacuations to train for nuclear accident – photos What would be the impact of an Astravyets NPP disaster on Lithuania The exact impact of an accident at Astravyets NPP on Lithuanians would depend on many factors an incident could affect a territory within the 300-kilometre radius from the power plant a significant number of Lithuanians could be exposed to harmful doses of radiation as around a third of the Lithuanian population resides within 100 kilometres from Astravyets NPP living up to 300 kilometres from the Belarusian nuclear facility would face limitations on consuming food and other products in case of an accident Such a scenario assumes dominant winds from the east meaning that radioactive particles would move towards Lithuania People would be instructed to stay indoors The distance from Astravyets NPP is an important factor determining the impact on the population Those residing within 30 kilometres from the facility would have to be evacuated and given iodine treatment Read more: Lithuania hands out iodine pills ahead of Astravyets NPP launchWithin the extended distance of 100 kilometres from the nuclear plant which includes the Lithuanian capital Vilnius iodine treatment could be given to the population after the assessment of the radiological situation In locations 300 kilometres from Astravyets NPP the long-term radioactive pollution would have to be evaluated in food while the food and water pollution would have to be monitored over time “It is important to note that Astravyets NPP is located only 40 kilometres from Vilnius, where the major government institutions, responsible for assuring security measures, are based. An accident in the Belarussian nuclear plant could hinder the operation of these institutions,” VATESI added.Read more: Lithuania to spend €135m to prepare for accidents at Belarus NPP What could be the impact of Astravyets NPP disaster on the river Neris The operators of the nuclear plant plan to use the water from the river Neris to cool the reactors According to Lithuania’s Geological Service the Neris provides drinking water to Vilnius “The intentions to use the Neris water to cool down Astravyets NPP reactors put these [four systems] under threat These sources provide 65,000 cubic metres of drinking water constituting 73 percent of all drinking water supplied in Vilnius,” the geologists noted The service also said that the Antaviliai supply system that provides water for more than half of Vilnius’ population would be among the most threatened facilities “The water sources of this system are closest to the Belarusian border […] Any pollution flowing from Astravyets NPP to the Neris could reach the system within 10 to 12 hours,” the service said the sources used for water extraction could be contaminated within nine days in Jonava “Preliminary estimates show that radioactive pollution of the Neris is dangerous for water supply in Vilnius it is necessary to model the exact consequences and prepare an action plan Could Astravyets NPP be damaged by an earthquake The Astravyets NPP construction site is located in a seismically active territory where earthquakes had been recorded over the past few centuries The Lithuanian geological service told LRT.lt that earthquakes were impossible to predict especially in the areas with low seismic activity “We can only find locations and regions where earthquakes could probably take place to identify territories with higher seismotectonic activity,” the geologists said Modern technologies are not yet capable of accurately predicting upcoming earthquakes geologists can only analyse the time between earthquakes in the past and make predictions about future events an earthquake could strike in any location around the Astravyets NPP site as well as directly under the nuclear facility itself According to Lithuania’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the level of radiation in the country is being continuously monitored by 43 air stations and three water stations A station in Buivydžiai on the Lithuanian–Belarusian border conducts continuous radiation tests of the Neris water 14 are located on the border with Belarus to monitor possible effects of Astravyets NPP “The number of stations is sufficient to capture even the smallest increase in radiation. The measurements are sent to a database every ten minutes and posted on EPA and European Commission’s EURDEO websites,” EPA told LRT.lt.Read more: Worried of Belarus nuclear plant, Lithuania ups monitoring measures responsible services receive SMS and email notifications Messages are also sent when a failure in the system or an unauthorised opening of the station occurs two new stations aimed at assessing the impact of Astravyets NPP started operating in Utena and Dzūkija National Park,” EPA added “These stations continuously measure the level of radiation by pumping large amounts of air through special filters that are then analysed in a laboratory.” The agency assured that such a method allows for even the smallest radiation increases to be recorded and notified about What are stress tests and what do they measure were initiated by the European Union after the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP in Japan These tests assess additional risks caused by nuclear facilities as well as evaluate their security based on likely unfavourable conditions But the criteria for issuing licences to older NPPs are no longer sufficient for modern practices given the experience of nuclear disasters,” said VATESI The goal of stress tests is to evaluate the NPP’s readiness to withstand conditions worse than those considered when licencing other power plants The nuclear facility must pass these tests even if the likelihood of certain conditions occuring is very low The stress tests set out by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) include assessments in three areas: resilience to rare but large-scale external events, loss of safety functions, and management of major accidents.Read more: Kremlin may threaten nuclear incidents in Belarus to blackmail Lithuania – MP VATESI added that the tests included not only technical requirements All interested parties can express their concerns while the results of the tests must be released The European stress test initiative was later joined by some non-EU countries the latter released the national report of Astravyets NPP’s stress test results the report was evaluated by a group of European experts They raised 464 questions about the Belarusian report and provided 30 recommendations on how to eliminate them “Belarus has only partially responded to the recommendations It does not intend to resolve the problems identified by the experts before the launch of the first Astravyets NPP reactor,” VATESI said Despite the importance of the safety improvements they will only be implemented between 2021 and 2024 well after the launch of the first reactor in 2020 “The Belarusian national action plan is currently being evaluated by the ENSREG’s experts The evaluation is to be finished by the end of 2020,” VATESI added What if the Baltic states cannot reach an agreement to block imports of Astravyets NPP’s electricity “It is important to note that after the synchronisation of the Baltic power grids with continental Europe's there will be no infrastructure left suitable for the electricity trade with third countries The Baltic electricity systems will be disconnected from the Russia-controlled BRELL network” that includes Belarus The power grids’ synchronisation with continental Europe is expected to be finished by 2025 “In the absence of a tripartite agreement on the allocation and calculation of permeability between the transmission system operators of the three Baltic states the permeability would be allocated and calculated on the national basis The consequence would be a greater threat to the reliability of the electricity transmission systems,” the ministry said Poland has also previously announced that it does not intend to buy electricity from Astravyets NPP A similar position has also been confirmed by the Ukrainian government representatives in a recent call with the Lithuanian energy minister What if other states do not buy electricity produced at Astravyets NPP It is hard to guess whether Belarus would still profit from its nuclear project if only Latvia out of the three Baltic states decided to purchase electricity produced at Astravyets NPP “It is important to note that the limitations on entering the Lithuanian market will have real economic consequences for the Astravyets NPP project,” the ministry said “Belarus expected to export electricity to the Baltic and European market directly through Lithuania less direct way would be to export electricity to Latvia via Russia “The negotiations between the Baltic states are ongoing It causes serious doubts about the economic viability of this project as well as questions about stopping the facility in the future There are many NPPs in the world that were closed due to economic and political reasons,” according to the Energy Ministry The ministry also noted that the price of renewable energy is falling significantly the World Nuclear Industry Status Report found that solar power costs 36-44 dollars for MWh while nuclear power 112-189 dollars for MWh What does the physical launch of Astravyets NPP mean there are three stages of launching a nuclear power plant: physical The physical launch means loading nuclear fuel into the reactor and beginning nuclear fission for the first time the equipment gets tested and the physical characteristics of the reactor analysed the electric generator is turned on and the reactor’s power is being gradually increased This stage could last for two to four months After demonstrating that the reactor can operate stably the industrial and commercial stage begins Based on public information, the physical launch of the first Astravyets NPP reactor is planned for August this year, while the commercial operation is expected to start in the first quarter of 2021. The second reactor should be fully launched by the end of 2021.Read more: Belarus informs Lithuania about fuel delivery to Astravyets nuclear plant What is the difference between Astravyets and Ignalina NPPs According to Lithuania’s State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) The reactors of Ignalina NPP are of so-called channel type made of graphite flooring with management and technological channels the main component of the reactors at Astravyets NPP use hot but not boiling water flows were reactors analogous to Ignalina NPP used VVER (Water-Water Energetic Reactors) at the Astravyes NPP are analogous to Pressured Water Reactors (PWR) and constitute more than half of all nuclear reactors in the world,” VATESI said in a comment to LRT.lt The inspectorate noted that VVER reactors of AES-2006 modification are safer than the previous models but they still do not meet European safety standards “This was demonstrated by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority’s (STUK) early assessment of the project,” said VATESI Russian state atomic agency Rosatom is building the nuclear plant in Belarus and is also trying to build one in Finland it still failed to get safety clearances from the Finnish regulator Ignalina and Astravyets NPPs were constructed in different time periods and under different security requirements a direct comparison of their security levels would not be correct” Lithuania’s Ignalina NPP is currently undergoing decommissioning, due to be completed in 2038.Read more: Lithuania fears Belarus hasn't ‘learned lessons of Chernobyl’ VILNIUS – Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite told US President Donald Trump at the summit of Central and Eastern European leaders in Warsaw on Thursday about the importance of regional security and the threats of the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) "Today in Warsaw all Eastern Europeans and leaders of countries in our region had an opportunity to speak again meet and state our opinion to US President Trump We have mentioned this to him in Brussels and now had a good opportunity to show and explain our specifics the threats we are faced with and the expectations we have from the US," Grybauskaite said in a comment circulated by the President's Office not only promises but actual tasks are now heard from the US when it comes to regional security "We hear very clearly not only the reassurance about security but see specific results This comes in the shape of 40 percent increase in the deterrence budget for the Eastern flank We see a deployment of US troops in Lithuania and the Baltic states We hear and know that this will be a promise during the Zapad 2017 exercise we are expecting an increased contingent in our countries We see actual work to guarantee our security," said the Lithuanian president the Lithuanian leader emphasized the importance of regional security at the Thursday's meeting the active role of the US is a keystone for Pan-European security In the face of military and non-conventional threat from Russia the troops of the most powerful state in the world and advance stationing of equipment in the region are the best measures of deterrence.  According to the Lithuanian president the contribution of the US is paramount for ensuring regional air defense In her address to leaders from 12 countries around the Adriatic Grybauskaite also expressed concerns over the threats posed by the Astravyets NPP under construction in Belarus close to Vilnius The Lithuanian head of state also took note of the American and regional presidents to the fact that Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the unsafe Astravyets NPP which is under construction by Rosatom and which nuclear pollution may reach 16 European capitals in case of accident are intended to be used by Russia as tools of non-conventional blackmail Grybauskaite also mentioned Lithuania's readiness to boost its presence in the US-led anti-ISIS operation the NATO mission in Afghanistan and the United Nations (UN) mission in Mali Trump made the stopover in Poland ahead of the G20 summit in Germany Some observers say the meeting in Warsaw will demonstrate Poland's regional leadership as an offset to the Germany and France-dominated bloc in the European Union Concerns had rippled across Eastern European countries after Trump's election campaign pledged to improve the relations with Russia and undermined NATO he refused to state public support to the principle of collective defense during a recent visit to Brussels The Astravyets NPP is being built some 50 km from Vilnius by the Russian Rosatom corporation Lithuania's government says the construction is in violation of security and environmental standards A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy Belarus inaugurated the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant (Astravyets NPP) This facility – funded by the Russian government and built by the Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom – is one that Lithuania considers a threat to its national security The project has already been causing frictions in the Baltic region that are yet to be resolved; the situation is emblematic of why and how Moscow is advancing its interests by exploiting the nuclear energy aspirations of various countries in Europe As a follow-up to a November 2020 webinar held by ICDS in cooperation with the Lithuanian Embassy in Tallinn we are pleased to present three papers written to explore the issue further with a particular focus on the state of play in relation to the Astravyets NPP in Belarus Andrea Bonelli outlines how Rosatom has been making inroads into Europe why this represents a significant challenge to national regional and European security and how Europe has been responding so far Yuri Tsarik explores why the Astravyets NPP has become a liability to Belarus and how the current domestic political upheaval and the ensuing regional geopolitical tensions are influencing its future prospects Tomas Janeliūnas describes how Lithuania came to view the Astravyets NPP as a major threat regionally and internationally to address it and why it has become such a thorny issue in the relations between the three Baltic states Rosatom in Europe: Russia’s Trojan Horse? (PDF) Belarus Goes Nuclear: Context and Prospects of the Astravyets NPP (PDF) The Long Shadow of a Nuclear Monster: Lithuanian Responses to the Astravyets NPP in Belarus (PDF) We will stand with Ukraine until the Kremlin is stopped and held to account Europe’s dilemma is that it needs to try and keep the United States on boar.. ICDS is co-organising a high-level international conference in.. Kristi Raik’s article on „NATO enlargement: is the door still open after Fi.. the European Union Enlargement Conference (EUEC) tak.. We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Lithuania calls on Belarus not to operate the second unit until the identified safety problems have been resolved and international nuclear safety and environmental standards and requirements are strictly observed Belarus failed to take into account the density and distribution of Lithuania’s population and the potential negative cross-border environmental impact Belarus has also not implemented the recommendations presented after the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) experts’ “stress tests” and has failed to provide the information necessary for a more accurate assessment of the potential impact of the Belarusian nuclear power plant on Lithuania Lithuania calls for transparent communication to inform the public and stakeholders about the real situation at the Belarusian NPP and incidents at the site It also calls for the suspension of operations at the Astravyets NPP until all nuclear safety issues identified by international missions and review processes are resolved The launch of the second reactor started at the end of last year and in April its power was increased from the minimum controlled power (1 percent) to 40 percent of its nominal power It was officially announced in May that the power was being increased to 50 percent Minsk plans to start commercial operation of the power unit in October LRT English NewsletterEvery Friday morning “I had an opportunity to cross Belarus by bike and visit the construction site of the Astravyets NPP during my summer vacation,” said former Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius in his interview with LRT RADIO in 2010 “I have to admit that I was not convinced of the plans to build a nuclear facility there.” the financing [of the project] is not yet finalised The scale of construction that I’ve seen seemed to be in a very early stage,” he added But the agreement was reached in 2011 when Belarus signed a nuclear plant construction contract with Atomstroieksport controlled by the Russian state atomic corporation Rosatom Lithuania began raising the question of Astravyets NPP on the international level and decided to boycott electricity produced by it “We are not planning to adjust any infrastructure for this nuclear facility and we are not planning to buy electricity from it,” said the former Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius at the Lithuanian parliament the Seimas passed a law saying that the Astravyets NPP is a threat to the Lithuanian national security because of its proximity to the country The incidents at the nuclear plant’s construction site were pointed out along with the fact that Belarus did not want it to be inspected by international experts The Astravyets NPP's location was also found to be on seismically active territory where dozens of earthquakes had been recorded over the past few centuries In case of an accident at the Astravyets NPP many Lithuanians would not only be affected by radiation The plant’s operators plan to use water from the river Neris for reactor cooling The river is also a source of drinking water for Vilnius and other cities in Lithuania 80 percent of water supply comes from Neris It means that an accident would leave a significant portion of Lithuanians without access to running water because of pollution Lithuania also said that Minsk withheld full information or outright denied the incidents at the Astravyets NPP In the 2017 Aarhus Conference, Belarus was found to have violated the convention that protects the public right to information and participation in decision-making regarding environmental protection.Read more: 10 questions about Belarusian nuclear plant. What would happen to Lithuania in case of accident? the Baltic states and Poland signed an agreement to synchronise their power grids with continental Europe's Latvia and Estonia to disconnect from the Russia-controlled BRELL network the European Commission announced that the Astravyets NPP had passed the stress test requirements determined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assessed by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) sought to evaluate outside risks to the nuclear plant and the facility’s ability to withstand them They also sought to determine the shortcomings of the Astravyets NPP and provide recommendations for seismic security and accident control But the tests did not address the questions that Lithuania had been raising since the project's inception These include the evaluation of the site’s suitability for the construction of the nuclear facility international assessment of its environmental effects and job security The stress tests were conducted by the secondary company of Rosatom the Russian state company constructing the facility Lithuania decided to ban imports of electricity from third countries with unsafe nuclear power plants the UN meeting for assessing international environmental effects determined that Belarus had violated several articles of the convention the Lithuanian government’s press release said that the Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis called on his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Rumas to build a modern gas-fired power plant instead of a nuclear facility we communicate and cooperate on many issues I strongly hope that this question will be resolved according to the spirit of good neighbourhood and mutual benefit,” Skvernelis wrote in his letter to Rumas “While we respect every state’s right to choose the direction of its economic development we cannot hide our sincere disappointment at neighbouring Belarus’ decision to develop the nuclear plant less than 50 kilometres from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius,” he added Skvernelis said that Lithuanian would help Belarus with gas imports from and via Lithuania if it decided to develop a modern gas-fired power plant instead saying in a response letter to Skvernelis that the Astravyets NPP project was already at the finishing stage and turning it into a gas facility would be “technically and economically pointless” Minsk offered Lithuania to develop a common system for observing the operation of the nuclear facility in Astravyets “We will simply have an opportunity to observe the background radiation and the entire environment from Lithuania,” said the prime minister But other ministers and experts were against the proposal because they said it would mean that Lithuania would have to take responsibility without being granted any direct say in the running of the Astravyets NPP Former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė also said that Lithuania should seek for the nuclear facility in Belarus to be shut down instead of developing a common system that would legitimise the plant “Any agreement to participate and create shared institutions would lead to the legitimisation of the Astravyets nuclear power plant It would mean that we tie our hands and cannot demand the facility to be closed down,” Grybauskaitė told reporters Skvernelis then clarified that the common system would be considered only if and when the nuclear plant in Belarus were launched The difficulties were also caused by the Baltic states’ disagreement over their positions on the Astravyets NPP Lithuanian and Estonian ministers signed a joint political declaration postponed its decision on whether to accept the common Baltic position over the imports of electricity from the new Belarusian nuclear plant While the three Baltic states were negotiating the Astravyets NPP got permission from the Department of Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Belarusian Ministry for Emergency Situations (Gosatomnadzor) to start loading nuclear fuel into its first reactor Lithuania sent a note to Belarus and encouraged it to prioritise security and not to speed up the construction of the nuclear facility arguing that it put people in Belarus as well as in surrounding countries at risk a new common position declaration proposal said that Latvia and Estonia were not obliged to boycott Astravyets’ electricity but could not oppose Lithuania’s decision to do so The proposed solution caused disagreement among Lithuania’s politicians The Foreign Ministry said that the declaration would mean Lithuania’s capitulation believed that Lithuania’s interests could be protected better if the agreement was reached In response to the failed negotiations over the purchase of Astravyets energy Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda decided not to participate in the annual meeting of the Baltic states’ leaders “The meeting of the leaders of the Baltic states has been long planned for […] The agenda included questions of energy security and the boycott of electricity from the unsafe Astravyets NPP,” the president’s office said in its comment to LRT.lt “The Energy and Economy Ministers failed to reach an agreement regarding the renewed energy trade with third countries The president thinks that the negotiations should be finished and decisions made before the meetings at the highest level could take place.” Latvia relented – citing the ongoing violent crackdown on protesters in Belarus – and said it would join the Baltic boycott critics have previously pointed out that electricity from Astravyets may simply enter the Baltics via Russia as Latvia said it would continue energy trade with Moscow until the grid desynchronisation in 2025 Meanwhile, the first reactor of Astravyets NPP should be fully operational by the first quarter of 2021.Read more: Minsk to export nuclear energy to other markets due to Baltic boycott Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations EXCLUSIVE / On his first visit to Brussels newly-elected Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis shared his fears with Euractiv.com about the building of a nuclear plant in Belarus 40 km from Vilnius and of the hybrid war waged by Russia against the former Soviet republic Saulius Skvernelis in Brussels on 15 February 2016 Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet tortor Duis vel urna ac mi sollicitudin lacinia mollis sit amet lorem Sed finibus erat nec libero scelerisque fringilla Morbi at orci sed urna vulputate vulputate Get a subscription on Euractiv Pro and elevate your political insight Mikalay Ulasevich was running in municipal elections in July 2016 when a local resident alerted him to a major accident at a nuclear power plant under construction close to this town in northwestern Belarus Workers had dropped a 330-ton reactor vessel from a height of several metres while attempting to install it and officials were trying to keep the incident under wraps but no one dared reveal it publicly,” Ulasevich recalled recently at his house in the nearby village of Varnyany with the plant's gargantuan cooling towers visible on the horizon “They'd be putting themselves in the firing line.” As a member of the opposition United Civic Party and an outspoken critic of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko Ulasevich was campaigning on a promise to thwart the controversial project funded by a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear energy monopoly Rosatom But it wasn't until two weeks after he learned of the incident that he decided to share the news In a Facebook post questioning the project's safety record he asked whether Belarusian officials had notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the accident or told neighbouring Lithuania lies a mere 40 kilometres from the Astravyets plant It's likely the small Baltic country was already aware Since the project was announced by presidential decree in 2008 backed by a 10-billion-dollar loan from Moscow Lithuanian officials have waited with trepidation for Minsk to declare construction complete with its delayed launch slated to take place within months their campaign to scupper those plans has shifted into high gear “This is a threat to our national security and environment,” Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas told RFE/RL in an interview in Vilnius which was done politically – geopolitically.” Eastern Europe knows that nuclear power can be both a blessing and a curse reverberated with catastrophic consequences as tainted clouds spread deadly radioactive particles across the region The Soviet leadership restricted information about the accident and acted sluggishly holding off evacuation of the local population for 36 hours exacerbated global fears over the double-edged sword of atomic energy Because of its location downwind from Chernobyl were shelved as the Soviet leadership and society at large grappled with the consequences of the tragedy critics say Belarus's decision to forge ahead with the plant near Astravyets is a testament to the country's failure to draw conclusions from its past “The lessons that were given 30 years ago in Chernobyl have not been learned,” Vaičiūnas said Three years before the disaster in Ukraine the Soviet Union opened a nuclear plant in Lithuania with the same RBMK-type reactors that served Chernobyl It was there that parts of HBO's five-part series on the nuclear disaster were filmed Lithuania agreed to close it as a condition for its accession to the European Union in 2004 with the final reactor decommissioned in December 2009 nuclear reactor design has advanced markedly with an increased focus on accident prevention and a substantial improvement in safety records worldwide The same Russian-made VVER-type reactors that will be used near Astravyets are slated for installation in a range of other countries including Finland where Rosatom – which has emerged as the world's leading nuclear reactor supplier – is building another power plant amid a global push to install more than 30 of its reactors in deals worth over 100 billion US dollars But while the Finnish regulator has imposed strict safety criteria pending approval of the project Lithuania says that Belarus is launching its first reactor without completing all stages of a “stress test” – an EU risk-and-safety assessment of a plant's ability to withstand damage from hazards But supporters of the project say that since Belarus is not an EU member it is not obliged to complete the stress test and the checks it did carry out were done voluntarily The Astravyets plant has also hosted visits from experts at international bodies Although it's up in arms over what it says is Minsk's secrecy over the project Lithuania doesn't so much dispute the technology used It's the proximity to its population centres and a history of seismic activity in the area the Council of Europe called on Belarus to suspend construction of the power station citing a “lack of respect for international standards for nuclear safety” and “major incidents during the construction of this plant,” which it asserted was being built on “an unsustainable site” “Safety depends not only on the design – it depends also on the site,” said Darius Lukauskas deputy head for radiation safety at Lithuania's nuclear energy regulator “You have to answer three questions: where the plant is The plant lies 140 kilometers from Minsk on Belarus's border with the European Union and Vilnius suspects its location is part of a Kremlin push to retain a foothold on the European energy market and ensure the region's continued reliance on Russian hydrocarbon supplies As Russia accelerates its push for closer integration with Belarus on Moscow's terms neighbours also fear that Minsk will be beholden to Russia's geopolitical whims once the plant goes online The administration of the Astravyets power plant denies that “Any talk of Belarus building a nuclear plant here to spite or harm someone – be it Lithuania He said the site near the Lithuanian border was chosen after preliminary excavations at several locations in the country's east exposed a layer of chalkstone that rendered the ground unsafe for a power plant and said past seismic activity in the region is exaggerated Svirid showed an RFE/RL reporter around the project's visitor centre in Astravyets where he uses touchscreens and model reactors to outline the precautions the administration promises to have in place He said the plant organises four or five press tours of the site each year and was “unprecedentedly open toward the media and the general public” Rosatom said that “it is practically impossible to conceal any event on the site as key works are being regularly inspected by watchdogs” “We are committed to the highest standards of transparency and have always provided the national regulator and all other stakeholders with any and all information they require on the design and progress of the project,” it said But access to the plant itself and the surrounding area are strictly controlled with a dedicated security detail stopping people who take photos and occasionally detaining journalists Two Belarusian journalists said they were followed by plainclothes officers and taken to a police station for questioning when they tried to visit the site in 2013 along with Ulasevich and other opposition politicians an RFE/RL reporter was detained by the plant's security service whose officers demanded that he delete all photos of the plant warning that photos can be used by terrorists has vehemently defended the project and smeared its opponents In a speech before university students in the provincial capital the strongman president suggested that critics of the plant were “a fifth column” that had been “paid off” He called the Astravyets plant and one under construction in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad “a bone in the throat of the European Union and the Baltic states,” adding “They'll be forced to buy electricity from us and from Russia.” it announced a boycott on the import and transfer of electricity from Belarus in an apparent bid to dim the Astravyets plant's economic prospects But Lithuania's electricity grid links up with Belarus and Russia and while it plans to reorient to the EU's network it acknowledges that process will take several more years its government is already preparing for a potential disaster It has bought up 900,000 euros worth of iodine tablets in the event of a radiation leak which Vilnius says could affect a third of Lithuania's population of 2.8 million And it's holding drills across the country to test its readiness and ability to evacuate citizens [but] we could have only a couple of hours after a release to make decisions – for example to evacuate,” said Lukauskas of the nuclear safety regulator one of the many state institutions involved in the drills “And until the release reaches the Lithuanian border.” official opinion polls suggest that Belarusians are divided over the benefits of harnessing nuclear power in their country and over the construction of the Astravyets plant According to a December 2018 poll by the state Sociology Institute support for the plant was at its highest in the Astravyets district itself with more than 71 percent in favour – though the accuracy of such surveys is hard to gauge in the tightly controlled country A continuing influx of workers from Russia and other parts of Belarus is expected to almost double the town's population within the next five years with new housing blocks springing up on the outskirts An active outreach campaign by authorities in Astravyets since 2008 has also helped sway local opinion in favour a geologist by training and one of the project's few outspoken critics in Belarus it is the apparent secrecy around it that is most jarring When the reactor vessel was dropped in July 2016 it wasn't until after his Facebook post that Belarusian officials confirmed publicly that the accident had taken place and pledged to replace the damaged vessel (Svirid contended that the reactor shell was not dropped but rather tilted during transportation in a way that caused one end to hit the ground.) On a recent drive from his house in Varnyany to the nuclear plant Ulasevich pointed out military installations that have emerged near Belarus's western border in recent years part of what Lithuania suspects is a build-up aimed in part at protecting the strategic facility but also a symbol of growing tensions between the EU and Russia which has close military ties with Belarus and leads a security alliance that includes its smaller western neighbour Despite warming relations between Brussels and Belarus which Lukashenko has sought to balance between Moscow and the West the country's ties to Russia remain strong not an economic one,” Ulasevich said of the nuclear plant “These tracking stations and army bases have been sprouting up like mushrooms after a summer rain.” officials acknowledge they have no way of preventing the plant's launch or strong-arming Belarus into making concessions over its sovereign territory hopes that the country's continued vocal opposition will encourage countries and companies to boycott the project “the key problem was not the accident itself “You can't trust a country which is not communicating with you.” Belarus plans to launch the Astravyets nuclear power plant and passed a law banning imports of Belarusian electricity when the plant becomes operational former speaker of Lithuania's Supreme Council-Reconstituent Seimas and honorary chairman of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats says a public movement against the Astravyets plant could demand for the facility to be built in another place “The demand could be very simple: the site should be different [The current] site is impermissible; it should be at least 100 kilometres from large residential areas,” Landsbergis told a press conference on Wednesday A memorandum calls for a public resistance movement against the nuclear plant “I believe Lithuania is already incurring losses and will have to invest a lot into the protection of people and self-defence,” Landsbergis said “That needs to be included into the Astravyets damage bill That should be on international conscience.” says the movement would make the European Union hear Lithuania's position on Astravyets “We want the EU to hear our position [and adopt it] as theirs and ban the purchase of electricity from this unsafe power plant,” Pavilionis said Lithuania needs to pool all efforts to fight against the construction of the Astravyets nuclear facility “The president is the only person raising this issue at the EU level diplomats and political forces,” Pavilionis said says he regrets that there is “no unanimity” on the Astravyets issue in Lithuania There's no unanimity on this issue in Lithuania There's no unanimity on this issue among specialists “We need some sort of a centre where this issue would be constantly maintained Political scientist Raimundas Lopata rejects claims that it is too late to resist the construction of the Astravyets nuclear power plant “There's a prevailing opinion in government circles that Astravyets has already been built and nothing can be done The claim that Astravyets has been built is fundamentally wrong The fact is that only a quarter of it has been constructed and the Russians plan to build another three [reactors],” Lopata said The memorandum on establishing a peaceful resistance to the Astravyets nuclear power plant has been singed by 21 public figures Latvian and Lithuanian energy ministries reached an agreement on regulating power trade with non-EU countries Power trade between Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and Lithuania will continue in its current volume “The Baltic states have the same political position" to boycott electricity imports from the Astravyets nuclear plant Lithuania's Energy Ministry told BNS on Tuesday Lithuania has outlawed electricity imports from Belarus once it launches the nuclear plant which is set to begin operating later this year Lithuanian authorities say the plant is unsafe Vilnius has been seeking to have Latvia and Estonia join it The new methodology for calculating each country's capacity for trade will be submitted to the energy market regulators at the end of this week the head of Lithuania's National Commission for Energy Control and Prices said a regulatory methodology could be approved fairly swiftly Latvia announced its decision to stop buying electricity from Belarus once the Astravyets NPP is launched saying it represented progress in negotiations and Baltic solidarity in energy policy Read more: Latvia backs Lithuania in nuclear dispute with Belarus after months of negotiationsFollowing Riga's statement Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said the Baltic states were getting closer to signing a political declaration Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas has told BNS that the three countries will now have to agree on the final wording of the declaration and approve the tripartite methodology Lithuania is the biggest critic of the Astravyets plant situated close to its border and about 50 kilometres from Vilnius The country argues that the facility fails to comply with international safety requirements Read more: 10 questions about Belarusian nuclear plant. What would happen to Lithuania in case of accident? Connected to the Belarus power grid last week the Astravyets nuclear power plant is not producing electricity since Sunday noon The Belarusian Energy Ministry said on Monday "the need to replace individual electrical engineering measuring equipment was identified" at the nuclear facility, but did not provide more information.Read more: Incident reported at Belarus nuclear plant days after launch reported that the turbine at the first unit of the Astravyets nuclear plant had been shut down on Sunday afternoon due to the failure of voltage transformers Lithuania's Radiation Protection Center said on Monday it had not recorded any increase in radiation levels in Lithuania Power production at the Astravyets NPP was launched last Tuesday when it operated at 250 MW capacity Minsk said the capacity was raised to 400 MW Lithuania suspended power trade with Belarus as soon as power production was launched at Astravyets on November 3 Vilnius maintains that the power plant is unsafe and was built in breach of international safety standards. Minsk denies all allegations.Read more: Lithuania blocks electricity trade with Belarus as Astravyets nuclear plant goes online “Technological systems and equipment have been prepared for the start of the physical start-up the personnel of the BelNPP [Astravyets NPP] have been prepared and trained to perform fuel loading operations,” Belarus' Energy Ministry spokeswoman Olga Kozlovich is quoted by BelTA Read more: Lithuanian president urges EU's Michel to get personally involved in Astravyets NPP issue The physical launch of one of the plant's two power units will begin by loading 163 fuel rods into the reactor core after which the reactor will be brought to a minimum controlled level Lithuania's Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said on Wednesday that Vilnius did not receive any official information about the launch the chair of the Lithuanian parliament's Committee on National Security and Defence even though the plant did not yet have the operating license “We know the way processes are taking place in Belarus the facility should be launched on Friday,” Gaižauskas said Not all tests related to safety have been done and the stress tests have not been carried out either,” he said after the committee's meeting on Wednesday held to discuss Lithuania's preparations for the Belarusian plant's launch Lithuania has been a staunch critic of the facility located within 50 kilometres from its capital saying the construction violates environmental and safety rules Read more: Lithuania to spend €135m to prepare for accidents at Belarus NPP In line with Lithuania's so-called anti-Astravyets law that bans electricity imports from Belarus once the plant launches production Litgrid on Tuesday set the capacity for commercial electricity flow from the neighbouring country to zero Read more: Moscow accuses Lithuania of discrimination, calls not to limit electricity trade “Litgrid set a zero MW capacity for commercial electricity flow from Belarus at 11:38 after its System Control Centre recorded data showing electricity production at the Astravyets NPP,” the power transmission system operator said in a statement Litgrid has informed the Nord Pool power exchange that no commercial electricity exchanges between Belarus and Lithuania will be available from now on Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said that Lithuania was now blocking its network for the needs of the Astravyets plant “These national measures ensure that Astravyets electricity is not traded on our market but solutions reached at the regional level to bar the plant's electricity from the Baltic electricity market are equally important,” he said in a statement adding that “the EU must play a critical role in nuclear safety.” Read more: How Lithuania fought and failed to stop Belarusian nuclear project Litgrid told BNS that from now on electricity is not being imported into the Baltic countries either from Belarus or Russia except for the Kaliningrad region with which Lithuania continues to trade As Lithuania has not yet approved a common Baltic methodology for electricity trade with Russia It is possible that the two Baltic countries will sign a bilateral agreement on methodology and start trading in electricity through the Latvia-Russia connection According to information available to Litgrid traders in Belarusian electricity have not concluded any import transactions for this week director of Litgrid's Power System Operations Department said that the operator would give Belarus no access to its emergency power reserve maintained by the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant Litgrid informed the TSOs of Belarus and other countries in the so-called BRELL ring about its withdrawal from their emergency reserve agreement Lithuania is using the Kruonis plant's capacity its interconnections with Poland and Sweden and the Baltic market's balancing capacity to ensure power reserves for its needs Litgrid estimates that electricity imports from Belarus totaled 0.3 TWh in the first half of 2020 accounting for around 5 percent of the total power imports Lithuania is importing most of its electricity from Sweden Latvian and Estonian electricity grids will be physically separated from Belarus and Russia in 2025 after being synchronised with the Western European system Lithuania has outlawed electricity imports from Belarus in protest of its new nuclear power plant close to the border it is yet negotiating with Latvia and Estonia to effectively implement the ban Belarusian electricity flows into Lithuania via the Lithuania-Belarus interconnection Although the law bans it from being sold in Lithuania "Latest data show that 50 percent of all electricity – which amounts to 77 million kilowatt-hours – that comes via the Lithuania-Belarus connection is from Belarus and the rest is from Russia," he said after a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence Read more: EP committee slams Astravyets nuclear plant as ‘geopolitical project’ "Exactly the same amount of electricity is traded on the Latvian exchange [Belarusian] electricity is not flowing to Latvia we consume that electricity and pay for it," he added The 77 million kWh of electricity entered Lithuania during the last 10 days when the Astravyets plant was operating stably This amount will be paid for Astravyets' further construction so it's important to prevent the second unit said Belarusian electricity accounted for about 12 percent of Lithuania's total power consumption "Belarusian electricity currently makes up around 12 percent of Lithuania's total power consumption mix We can say that [Lithuanian] consumers are paying for the Astravyets plant," he said Vilnius is planning to use the data in negotiations with Riga and Tallinn it proves that a trilateral Baltic methodology for electricity trade with third-countries – worked out last year but not yet approved by Lithuania – doesn't work A methodology from 2018 that Lithuania continues to apply would have barred access for Astravyets electricity to the region's market Lithuania continues talks with Latvia and Estonia on the methodology and will present its position later in February the Energy Ministry will put forward a plan of economic measures to be taken to stop Belarusian electricity from entering Lithuania Lithuania’s Health Emergency Situation Centre (ESSC) handed over the pills ahead of the opening of the Belarussian nuclear power plant in Astravyets some 50 kilometres from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius It is up for the local authorities to decide the way the pills will be distributed to people The pills will first reach Lithuanian residents living within the 30-kilometre radius from the Astravyets NPP Vilnius District municipality has received 29,000 pills and Švenčionys District got over 95,000 pills The fact that the distribution of potassium iodide pills has started way before the launch of the nuclear facility in Belarus shows that “all responsible institutions have done their job” said Lithuanian Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga “The other important task is for people to listen to the specialists’ advice and use these pills when needed and in the appropriate way,” the minister added Lithuania has purchased 4 million potassium iodide pills for over 1 million euros to protect people from radiation in case of a nuclear accident The country has been opposing the construction of Astravyets NPP saying the facility does not meet the security standards Read more: Critics fear Lithuania may ‘capitulate’ in the fight against Belarusian nuclear plant Belarusian officials have said the date of the Astravyets NPP’s first reactor’s “physical launch” will be revealed over the upcoming week The nuclear facility should reach its full capacity by February 2021 Read more: Kremlin may threaten nuclear incidents in Belarus to blackmail Lithuania – MP According to the government’s programme made public on Monday "we should withstand pressure and not only bar access for electricity generated by [the Astravyets NPP] to our market but also minimise access to our energy system” The government aims to achieve an "absolute blockade of the Astravyets NPP” in Lithuania “and strive for [a full blockade] on the EU scale" Read more: Belarus nuclear plant – safety threat or Kremlin's tool to keep Baltics close? "We will ensure that electricity from the Astravyets NPP does not enter the Lithuanian market either directly or indirectly and that our consumers do not pay for it," according to the programme and Lithuania are due to disconnect from the BRELL grid to link up with the European system by 2025 The Baltic states and the European Union consider it a strategic project for the bloc’s energy security Lithuania has been one of the most ardent critics of the Astravyets nuclear plant built by Russia’s state atomic corporation Rosatom and sponsored by a loan from the Kremlin Vilnius maintains the nuclear plant built on the border with Lithuania is unsafe The country has consistently maintained that the facility to be launched near the Lithuanian border and only about 50 kilometres from Vilnius is being built in breach of international safety and environmental regulations Read more: Vilnius to keep blocking Belarus-EU deal over nuclear project passed a resolution on Energy Independence and the Threat Posed by the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday with 82 votes in favour MP Žygimantas Pavilionis of the conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats said the document would send a clear message to the world that Lithuania would not abandon its position that the facility is unsafe MP Artūras Skardžius of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labour Party said that the resolution would not change anything Read more: Lithuania hopes to sign ban on Belarus’ nuclear energy with other Baltic states Seventeen parliamentarians who drafted the resolution propose that the government take technical measures to block Belarusian electricity from the Lithuanian market even before the launch of the Astravyets plant The authors of the document have called for using all possible means to rally support for Lithuania's position from the European Union EU and NATO member states and the international community The facility in Astravyets is constructed by the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom The Russian government has also given a loan to Belarus to finance the project Read more: Lithuanian and Belarusian leaders hold first call in a decade which will be traded in the Baltic markets can only come through the Latvian and Estonian physical cross-sections and lines [and not through Russia] The physical flow coming across the Lithuanian border is not traded," Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said on Tuesday Citing data from the power transmission system operator Litgrid Kreivys said earlier that Lithuania had already paid almost 4 million euros for electricity produced at the Astravyets NPP in Belarus and that the annual amount would reach 120 million euros if trade between Russia and Latvia continued at these levels the only Baltic country to have a direct electricity connection with Belarus considers the plant built by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom some 50 kilometres from Vilnius to be unsafe Read more: Lithuania plans to hold evacuation drills after Belarus launches nuclear plant Vilnius says the energy trade methodology that was drafted by the three Baltic countries last year and approved by Latvia and Estonia fails to bar market access for Belarusian electricity which it says enters via the connection between Russia and Latvia Lithuania has refused to endorse it and has proposed a new methodology that it says is acceptable to all three countries Lithuania does not accept Riga’s argument that Latvia's electricity imports from Russia surged in January because of a cold snap "Latvia doesn't comment on whether the electricity originated in Belarus or somewhere else It only says that the significant increase [in imports] could be due to the cold weather," the minister said [...] all flows increased with the start-up of the Astravyets nuclear power plant and the increase [of power production] to its full capacity," he noted Vilnius is considering a plan B if it can’t reach a deal with Latvia and Estonia "We have already asked the [European] Commission today to convene as soon as possible a trilateral [Baltic energy market interconnection plan] BEMIP meeting of the Baltics and the Commission where we will introduce and discuss our new methodology," he said If Lithuania fails to reach a deal with Latvia and Estonia "Lithuania reserves the right to apply the legal and technical measures provided for in option B so as to implement the 'anti-Astravyets' law," he said the principles of the new trilateral methodology were endorsed by the Electricity System Synchronisation Commission headed by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė The three Baltic states are planning to unplug form the Russian-controlled power grid that also includes Belarus and switch to a continental European network by 2025 The president-headed State Defence Council is expected to discuss them next week The minister said he is planning to discuss the Astravyets blockade issue with Ukrainian Polish and Latvian government officials shortly “Information appeared in the Belarusian information space about a possible incident at the Belarus Nuclear Power Plant The incident is said to be linked to a malfunction in the reactor's cooling system,” according to the Centre's announcement Lithuania's State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) has asked Belarusian institutions to give information about the situation at the Astravyets plant Levels of radiation in Lithuania remain unchanged, according to the announcement. Radiation monitoring information is published on the Centre's website Read more: Lithuania embarks on new push to block Belarus nuclear plant confirmed to BNS that the plant has been out of operation since Sunday midday The nuclear plant started producing electricity on November 3 Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko took part in the opening of the plant on November 6, where he said the launch of the Astravyets NPP was as “ordinary” as building a metro several voltage-measuring transformers outside of the nuclear reactor exploded during the incident the Belarusian Energy Ministry said that “a need to replace the measuring equipment arose” during testing The radiation levels in Lithuania are normal according to Ramunė Stasiūnaitienė from the country’s Radiation Protection Centre “Residents have no reason to be concerned or take their iodide tablets,” she told LRT RADIO.Read more: Vilnius hands out iodide pills as Belarus nuclear plant nears completion Lithuania’s State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) said the plant is still undergoing testing “we have also received no information about the [planned] next steps to launch the plant” Lithuania has been one of the most ardent critics of the nuclear plant built by the Russian state atomic corporation Rosatom and funded by a loan from the Kremlin Vilnius says the plant is unsafe and was built in breach of international safety standards The Baltic states are gearing up to switch from the Russian-controlled BRELL electricity grid that also includes Belarus and synchronise with the continental European system by 2025 The Movement proposes that a new anti-Astravyets NPP law should be included in the list of constitutional laws bearing special significance for the Lithuanian legal framework It also proposes that Lithuania should withdraw from the Vienna Convention At Wednesday’s press conference in the Seimas Chairman of the Board of the Movement and Member of the European Parliament said that ‘those who want to reach Brussels’ ears do so it is indeed unjustifiable to hide behind the pandemic and say that we have more important things to do and that we are not in a position to consolidate our solidarity on the Astravyets issue in a joint EU position and the agenda is never too busy for us not to raise the issue of Astravyets in the way we have suggested by relying on EU-wide solidarity once a decision is taken in Vilnius.’ only true European solidarity can stop the Astravyets NPP project It is therefore necessary to seek a common EU position and ensure that a dialogue with Belarus is pursued under scenarios other than those of Alexander Lukashenko because the statements of the Belarussian President give us no guarantees whatsoever ‘Halting the development of the nuclear facility followed by its subsequent closure and relocation remain the basic principles of the Movement against the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant,’ said Mr Auštrevičius The initiators call for a range of new legal and diplomatic measures to draw the attention of the international community to the power plant under construction and risks pertaining to it ‘Bearing in mind that constitutional laws falling between the Constitution and ordinary laws are treated as having exceptional status in the Lithuanian legal framework the Movement proposes that a new anti-Astravyets law should be included in the list of constitutional laws to ourselves that our fight against the Astravyets NPP is not short-lived,’ said Dr Herkus Gabartas Partnership Professor at Mykolas Romeris University One of the proposals for Lithuania is to withdraw from the Vienna Convention A response from the Lithuanian authorities is still pending Honorary Chairman of the Movement against the Astravyets NPP stated that Lithuania’s participation in the Convention was the same as making a mockery of our country as Lithuania would be denied any proper compensation in the event of a nuclear accident ‘Although nuclear damage represents a real risk we have accepted only a minuscule amount of compensation if need be The withdrawal from the Convention would permit us to make demands in the event of a disaster we are in no position to press any demands since we have already consented to this by ratifying the Convention We would get next to nothing for our destruction but we most meekly accept this That is why we must get out of this wretched convention (...) And we do need to get out of all that insidious crap that has been foisted upon us,’ Prof Landsbergis said the Seimas failed to approve the draft resolution on energy independence and the threat posed by the Astravyets nuclear power plant’ thus refusing to commit the Government to redouble its efforts in preventing the electricity generated in the nuclear power plant under construction in Belarus from accessing Lithuania According to Žygimantas Pavilionis from the Conservative party this document would have shown the world that Lithuania did not intend to give up its position on the safety of the Astravyets NPP data showing electricity being produced at the Astravyets NPP and supplied into the grid,” the operator said It said the plant was operating at a capacity of around 350 MW on Thursday morning but its electricity was not being traded in Lithuania The Astravyets plant stopped generating electricity on November 8 less than a week after it was launched on November 3 Belarus' Energy Ministry said that the need to replace “certain electrical measuring equipment was identified” during tests Belarusian media have reported that the turbine of the plant's first reactor was shut down after several voltage transformers had exploded but this information has not been officially confirmed Following the plant's launch on November 3 Litgrid immediately set the capacity for commercial power flows from Belarus to zero thus barring market participants from trading in Belarusian electricity The Lithuanian energy market regulator and some politicians say that Lithuanian consumers are still paying for Astravyets electricity because it is physically flowing into Lithuania and traded on the power exchange in Latvia Outgoing Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas says that Belarusian electricity is not traded in Lithuania and consumers do not pay for it The Lithuanian State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) has recently demanded that European nuclear safety regulators suspend the commissioning of the Astravyets station until all safety issues have been resolved Read more: Lithuania's feud with Baltic states over energy trade – explainer "That will be one of the key questions during the drafting of the exercises schedule and probably going back to the scenarios: do we or do we not need to evacuate Vilnius residents,” Vitalij Dmitrijev The so-called Astravyets drill was held in October 2019 in Vilnius and Svenčionys districts which are located close to the Belarusian border authorities prepared to evacuate people from radiation-affected territories as well as simulated a resident cleanup and monitoring operation troops and civil servants from six municipalities and 24 institutions Due to a dispute over the exercise scenario with the Vilnius authorities officers from the capital did not take part in the drills Read more: Lithuanians stage mock evacuations to train for nuclear accident – photos the Vilnius authorities cancelled another exercise to simulate an accident at the nuclear power plant in Belarus Vilnius Municipality faced resistance from the government at the time Lithuanian officials say that the nuclear power plant built by the Russian state atomic corporation Rosatom and funded by a loan from the Kremlin was built in breach of international safety standards and Lithuania are also due to unplug from the Moscow-controlled energy grid that links them with Belarus Vilnius says that the Kremlin may use the plant to derail the move "Lithuania currently has no information about provocations [...] being organised in Belarus by any party We have no such information," Kęstutis Budrys told reporters on Monday after the State Defence Council's meeting The comment comes in response to Ukraine’s military intelligence report on Sunday which claims Russia may attack critical infrastructure in Belarus Budrys said these and similar reports were being taken "quite seriously" Lithuania considers the nuclear plant in Belarus unsafe Read more: 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acquires controlling stake in Azbuka Vkusa German Prosecutors Confirm Termination of Money Laundering Investigation Against Alisher Usmanov Comments by President of the Russian Fertilizers Producers Association Andrey Guryev on bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC green chemistry research grants awarded for the 8th time to world's best young scientists Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Construction work at Belarus’ Ostrovets nuclear power plant (NPP) is coming to an end But the facility remains a bone of contention with its neighbours who simply don't trust the Belarusians to run a nuclear facility without something going wrong which will radically alter the small republic’s power profile For much of the last two years Minsk has been dogged by the Kremlin as it has revamped its energy tax regime and in effect has cut Minsk off from hundreds of millions of dollars of subsidies Moscow has not been above using this largesse as a political weapon to get its way and the power from Ostrovets (known as Astravets to the Russians) will enable Minsk to remove one of Moscow’s most power levers making it the market leader in international nuclear power technology The legacy of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 has created a sensitivity to Russian nuclear power that needs to be addressed Neighbouring Lithuania has voiced the most vocal objections as the reactor is being built only 45km from its capital Vilnius Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for measures to “prevent countries with unsafe nuclear power plants” from exporting electricity to Lithuania in a barb that was clearly directed at Belarus And the government in Vilnius has been on a campaign to feed the fears that dog nuclear power projects "The plant is being built in breach of safety standards including the UN’s Espoo and Aarhus conventions," Arvydas Sekmokas told Euronews."Minsk has disregarded International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations made after the Fukushima disaster that plants should not be built within 100 kilometres of major population centres." The Espoo Convention states that all countries must consult their neighbours on the potential cross-border environmental impact of a nuclear project But so far there is only a draft assessment from Espoo and it needs to be adopted as a final version before it can enter into legal force the draft doesn't say that the plant is being built in breach of the convention “The environmental impact assessment [EIA] documentation of Belarus on the Ostrovets nuclear power plant includes information that sufficiently addresses issues referred to in technical and scientific questions related specifically to the Ostrovets site,” the draft assessment says and goes on to state that Belarus has complied with all the requests for information demanded by Espoo but concludes more work still needs to done before a final decision can be made While the assessment found nothing wrong with the location of the Ostrovets site it did say that Belarus has not provided enough information on alternative sites The Espoo assessment still needs to be finalised but even if it concludes that Belarus is in breach of the convention as there is no bilateral agreement between Belarus and Lithuania governing the implementation of the Espoo Convention any conclusions it draws are not binding on Belarus That hasn't stopped Vilnius from playing up the issue To bring home the danger Lithuania has bought half a million iodine tablets and held drills to prepare for a nuclear emergency last autumn that included the mock evacuation of half a million people from the capital in the event of a major meltdown The old RBMK class of graphite-moderated nuclear reactor designed and used in the Soviet Union is being phased out (There are current 10 RBMK reactors still in operation.) For example the construction of a new RBMK reactor on the shores of the Sea of Azov in Ukraine was immediately stopped half way through after Chernobyl blew up and the decaying superstructure (without the reactor or fuel rods) stands in a field there to this day where it has been used as the venue for the Kazantip summer musical festivals Ostrovets detractors have claimed that the plant does not meet EU safety standards or regulatory norms The plant is based on pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology, which are used in two thirds of all nuclear power stations in the world In the 65 years the PWR reactors have been in use IAEA has never reported an accident or a single loss of life associated with them which has gone through several generations of development Russia claims that its water-water energetic reactor (VVER with the 1200-MW version being the latest generation of this technology and the one being installed in the Belarusian facility “VVER-1200 belongs to the latest generation of reactors which meet the strictest post-Fukushima requirements,” Rosatom says it’s now the most common new build design in the world with 36 power units being selected by utilities and watchdogs in 12 countries including Finland “Its core design has [a] state-of-the-art safety system including advanced cooling reliability and built-in passive safety systems with a 72-hour grace period that requires no operator intervention after shutdown This model falls under Generation 3+ reactors designed precisely on the basis of lessons learned in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster,” says Alexander Uvarov a Russian nuclear expert and the editor-in-chief of nuclear news site AtomInfo.ru International inspectors double checking from the start The construction of Ostrovets has been under international supervision since the beginning as the Belarusians are as keen as the Lithuanians to make sure the reactor is as safe to use as possible it was Belarus’ southern regions that were in the path of the deadly radioactive cloud and took the brunt of the damage The project has been thoroughly reviewed by international inspectors and in 2016 the IAEA’s then Director-General, Yukiya Amano, called Belarus one of the most advanced nuclear “newcomer countries” in the world “The IAEA has worked closely with Belarus on all aspects of this major project and will continue to offer every assistance,” Amano said during an inspection trip to the site in 2016 which confirmed the plant could withstand the most extreme natural calamities Throughout the construction of the plant the project has been open to inspection and hundreds of journalists and experts have visited the facility since it was opened to visitors in December 2015 and the progress showcased at the annual Atomexpo-Belarus in Minsk which is the current and most up-to-date legally binding set of regulations in this area does not specify any requirements regarding distances between nuclear power plants and cities Most recently, in August 2019 the IAEA sent a 15-member Pre-Operational Safety Review Team composed of IAEA officials and experts from Armenia on an 18-day mission to assist in strengthening the plant’s operational safety as the construction moved into its final phases Lithuania remains unconvinced and points to the “Gudogai earthquake” in 1908 as one of their main concerns that reportedly reached 7 on the Richter scale located on a farm close to the site of the Ostrovets NPP The town's railway and local churches were undamaged by the earthquake that was only reported in the local paper based on the second-hand reports of two witnesses; nor were there any reports from the nearby village of Ostrovets Seismic studies were started in the area in 1965 and there have been earthquakes Lithuania didn't factor in earthquake risk when building its own Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility on the Belarusian border 24km away from the reported epicentre of the Gudogai earthquake But because of lingering doubts over the safety of the plant in October 2019 Lithuania’s president called for the EU to block the completion of the plant in the name of Lithuania’s national interest and to preserve Belarus’ sovereignty as allowing a Russian-built NPP would make the republic more dependent than ever on its larger eastern neighbour The last argument has been negated to some extent after Minsk and Moscow locked horns over Russian energy imports last year making it even more imperative for Minsk to reduce its dependence on Russian hydrocarbon imports The Ostrovets NPP is anticipated to result in Belarus’ gas imports from Russia – its main source of energy – falling by 5bn cubic metres annually The c$9bn Belarus has borrowed from Russia to pay for the plant could in theory be used as a new lever but the loan was made on commercial terms and can be simply refinanced on the international capital markets The amount is equivalent to some 10% of the republic’s total external debt And the plant comes with a long-term service contract provided by Rosatom But as there are several other international companies from Europe US and China offering both services and nuclear fuel Belarus could simply switch vendor if Russia tried to withhold fuel supplies In addition to meeting its own energy needs Minsk is also hoping to make some money from power exports to its neighbours Lithuania used to have its own NPP at Ignalina The upshot is Lithuania has turned to natural gas to replace nuclear power which has also pushed up its CO2 emissions by 13% The neighbouring countries of Estonia and Poland suffer from similar problems and Poland in particular remains heavily dependent on coal-fired power stations making them amongst the most carbon-intensive energy producers in the EU emitting over 900 grams per KWh of consumed electricity (twice that of the UK and nine times more than France) Without the Lithuanian ban on imports and transits the Belarus NPP could help reduce CO2 emissions by about 2mn tonnes per year (tpy) by replacing the most polluting and environmentally harmful coal output in Poland and Estonia Lithuania says that Ostrovets can be weaponised and used as a geo-political tool to increase the region’s dependency on Russian energy Vilnius has been lobbying the EU to disconnect the former Warsaw Pact countries from the Soviet-era grid and build a new electrical “Iron Curtain” Brussels has baulked at the billions of euros remaking the regional power grid would cost and the US has remained deaf to Vilnius’ entreaties for help and pressure on Minsk European leaders are just as worried about maintaining energy security for their countries as they are of Russian machinations as Germany’s insistence on pursuing the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has shown If Russia were able to turn off the lights at will in the capital of a NATO member such as Lithuania that would be a legitimate security concern but the amount of power Lithuania would import doesn't make that possible According to Litgrid the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Lithuania had almost 3.6 GW of net installed power generation capacity of which The LitPol and Nordbalt interconnection links with Poland and Northern Europe add 1.2 GW resulting in 3.2 GW of perfectly dispatchable power supply independent from either Belarus and Russia The maximum capacity demand in Lithuania at peak load in winter is estimated to be between 1.8 and 2.3 GW which means that Lithuania can meet its entire demand with domestically sourced power and then some Building Astravets gives Russia no extra leverage over Lithuania Lithuania spent approximately €500mn on building the Klaipeda floating LNG (FLNG) terminal launched in 2014 but as electricity prices remain depressed natural gas is still too expensive a fuel to make using LNG It is cheaper to import power and in 2019 Lithuania imported 80% of its electricity The low costs of power go some way to explaining the resistance to Ostrovets which will become yet another source of cheap power in the republic In order to sustain the LNG imports the government has already resorted to mandatory purchase orders of LNG-based power for utilities as a way of maintaining its LNG infrastructure which the government sees as part of its energy security setup Check the box to receive the e-magazine to your inbox every month for free Get notified when there's a new bne IntelliNews Podcasts added the exercise tested a resident registration app which was designed to help manage the process of temporary population relocation in case of an accident according to the municipality’s press release we will need to implement some improvements that we identified during the exercise,” said an adviser to Vilnius mayor “But the officers and other exercise participants said that this tool is useful for recording data and managing an extreme situation.” the app could be used not only in Vilnius but also in other municipalities The app was tested in every stage of the population relocation from departure to arrival at the cleaning control and temporary accommodation places The exercise involved several local schools and businesses that learnt how to swiftly react and respond to a possible accident at the Astravyets NPP Around 100 people took part in the exercise residents would be immediately informed by sirens warning messages to their phones and on the Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) Residents should also remember recommendations on the use of iodide pills More information on the pills and preparation for the nuclear accident could be found on jodas.vilnius.lt and www.lt72.lt/ Lithuanian officials maintain that the Astravyets NPP built by the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom Read more: Lithuania’s preparation for nuclear emergency wavers under ‘a real crisis’ Rescuers evacuated around 50 volunteers from the District of Švenčionys and another 50 from the District of Vilnius on Wednesday and handed out mock iodine pills Police officers oversaw the evacuation as people were moved from their homes to a decontamination site and further westwards One of the drills took place in the village of Magūnai told BNS she was worried about the Astravyets plant because it is located so close to Lithuania “[In case of an accident at Astravyets] there would be much panic everyone would want to be the first to evacuate,” Alinauskienė said The Lithuanian government has fiercely protested the plant's construction 30 kilometres from the border and only 50 kilometres from the Lithuanian capital and most populous city Read more: As sirens blare across Vilnius, authorities test nuclear response readiness "Although there have been various statements earlier Ukraine's message is clear now: it does not plan to buy and will not buy electricity from the nuclear power plant under construction in Astravyets either in the short or long term," said Vaiciunas who discussed this issue with Ukraine's Acting Energy and Environment Minister Olga Buslavets this confirmation from the Ukrainian minister sends an important signal to the EU and the Baltic countries and Poland "Ukraine shows solidarity with Lithuania in its boycott of electricity from the Astravyets nuclear power plant" The Ukrainian parliament is debating a draft law on the country's integration into the European energy system The bill calls for banning commercial electricity imports from non-EU or Energy Union members Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda last month asked Ukraine not to purchase Astravyets electricity which is located some 50 kilometers from Vilnius fails to meet international safety and environmental standards PHOTO: DELFI / Domantas Pipas Blaring emergency sirens across Lithuania marked the start of a four-day civil protection exercise aimed at testing the authorities' readiness to respond to a potential nuclear accident at Belarus' Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant Alert messages were sent out to inform people about the exercise and advise them to turn on LRT Television and Radio for further information about what to do in a nuclear or radiation emergency "In the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency (...) go as quickly as possible to the nearest building with undamaged windows and walls," the announcer said "Close all doors and windows and seal all vents and chimneys; the safest place to be is in the center of the building or basement," she said adding that people should stay tuned in for further updates ad recommendations The LT72 emergency preparedness website went down for around ten minutes after the exercise started The Interior Ministry's spokeswoman said this was due to an influx of traffic "It always happens after the sirens are sounded The site goes down for a few minutes when the first traffic arrives and is back online in a few minutes," Ieva Dirmaite said the sound of sirens at the Panorama mall in central Vilnius was faint "I heard nothing and didn't received any message; I don't know what this exercise is about," Laura Paskeviciute The woman said she would probably not know how to behave in the event of a nuclear incident but added that such drills are useful and necessary The man said he did not hear the sirens and did not receive the alert message on his mobile phone said he received the message but did not hear the sirens (...) Such exercises are needed to test the systems The message on the phone gave links to sites where information can be found," he said The so-called "Astravyets exercise" will run through Friday Groups of 50 volunteers will be evacuated from Svencionys District to Zarasai District and from Vilnius District to the municipality of Kalvarija In a so-called "temporary relocation" drill the same number of volunteers will be moved from Salcininkai District to Varena District Human decontamination procedures will be simulated and iodine tablets will be handed out An aerial radiation survey involving two helicopters and a ground radiation survey will be conducted on Thursday The results of the nuclear accident response readiness exercise will be discussed on Friday The exercise will involve a total of 24 public institutions and six municipalities Vilnius' municipal officials will only take part as observers after the city and the central government failed to agree on the scenario The Lithuanian government says the Astravyets plant under construction some 50 kilometers from Vilnius and less than 30 kilometers from the Lithuanian border fails to meet international safety and environmental standards "We have a law that bans purchases from the moment the Astravyets nuclear power plant is launched the Baltic countries may purchase electricity from Belarus only via Lithuania That are no legal and regulatory instruments on the Estonian and Latvian borders to make that trade possible," Vaiciunas said on Ziniu Radijas on Tuesday "These things may change and I've no doubt that huge desperate efforts will be made in search of possibilities for electricity to get access through Latvia and Estonia but we'll see what decisions will be made," he said Latvia's Economy Ministry told BNS Lithuania earlier that all three Baltic states can technically import power from third countries Latvia and Estonia's trade agreements allow trading only via Lithuania "Currently, after cross-border electricity transmission links were built in the Baltic states, and the Baltic states joined the Nord Pool energy exchange market the transmission system operators of the Baltic states in 2013 made an agreement to arrange their electricity trade flows with third countries through the borders of Lithuania-Belarus and Lithuania-Russia to ensure as effective functioning of the market as possible," the Latvian ministry said Belarus risks losing large sums of money after putting its first nuclear power plant on stream "With the Astravyets nuclear power plant offline Belarus receives about 1 million euros in revenue from electricity trade daily once the Astravyets nuclear power plant has been launched that trade flow will automatically stop and Belarus will lose the revenue," he said Vaiciunas did not rule out that Russia might put pressure on Vilnius regarding Astravyets electricity purchases as Lithuania will synchronize its grid with Europe and disconnect from the post-Soviet BRELL ring that it would be irresponsible to speak about cutting off transmission lines with Belarus now "Infrastructure projects are underway to connect us with Europe to allow us to disconnect from Russia and Belarus Disconnecting the lines (with Belarus) right away is not a responsible approach because that would undermine our security and is not allowed under the same 'anti-Astravyets' law which says clearly that we can't disconnect more lines than it is safe for us," he said Lithuania is taking additional measures to prepare for all possible blackmail scenarios It was reported on Monday that Belarus had pushed back the date of the launch of the Astravyets plant's first reactor until next fall Minsk said earlier the first reactor would be switched on in May or June 2019 the Seimas passed a law declaring the Astravyets plant a threat to national security The government later approved an action plan for blocking electricity imports from the plant In its position approved on Wednesday the committee suggests that "the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry inform the Latvian Foreign Ministry in writing that Latvia has violated the 2018 (...) tripartite agreement" on electricity trade with third countries It also proposes that the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry take over the talks on electricity trade from the country's Energy Ministry Lithuania halted electricity trade with Belarus immediately after it launched the Astravyets plant last week but the lines connecting the two countries continue to transmit physical electricity flows Latvia announced that it had started electricity trade with Russia The Latvian-Russian border was closed to electricity trade with Russia under the 2018 methodology Latvia says that it starts applying a new trilateral Baltic methodology for electricity trade with third countries after Lithuania has halted trade with Belarus The methodology has caused controversy in Lithuania It has been approved by the Energy Ministry but has not been greenlighted by the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) The conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) the winner of last month's parliamentary election The methodology allows importing a certain amount of electricity from Russia provided that it has "a proof of origin that the imported electricity is originated from non-Belarusian producers" Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas says that the methodology prevents commercial electricity flow from Belarus from entering the Baltic electricity market He says that it would be naive for Lithuania to expect a methodology that would not only bar access for Belarusian electricity but also would also prevent Latvia and Estonia from importing Russian electricity The conservatives say the methodology proposed by the minister does not have enough safeguards to ensure that Latvia does not buy Astravyets electricity through Russian intermediaries They say electricity flows need to be more strictly restricted and the certificate system must be more reliable chairman of the outgoing Committee on European Affairs told BNS that the committee had approved the position unanimously the leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party said that the position would help draw Brussels' attention to the matter and that the Foreign Ministry's taking charge of the talks would allow voicing a more coordinated position MP Dainius Kreivys of the Homeland Union said that Latvia could be breaking its political promise not to buy energy produced at the Astravyets plant "Following the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant an analysis of electricity flows shows that Latvia is successfully selling electricity entering Lithuania through the Lithuanian-Belarusian connection (...) in our market," Kreivys said "Lithuanian tax-payers' money is thus being used to finance the Astravyets nuclear power station's further development and The Seimas committee calls on VERT "to submit proposals on how to stop large electricity flows to Lithuania from Belarus in order to ensure that electricity produced by the Astravyets NPP does not enter the Lithuanian electricity market and that Lithuanian consumers do not pay for it through the Riga exchange" The committee's position is not legally binding but it is sending an important political signal The exercise will follow a hypothetical scenario in which Belarus does not inform Lithuania about an accident in the Astravyets plant but Lithuania's monitoring systems register increased air and water pollution levels It will involve evacuation drills in southeastern municipalities and testing the national emergency population warning system the emergency population warning system will be tested nationwide Sirens will sound and people will receive warning messages Information will be broadcast on LRT Television and Radio The Emergency Commission will meet in the afternoon to approve the exercise plan and the person in charge of the operations Groups of 50 volunteers will be evacuated from Švenčionys District to Zarasai District and from Vilnius District to the municipality of Kalvarija In a so-called “temporary relocation” drill the same number of volunteers will be moved from Šalčininkai District to Varėna District Rescuers will simulate human decontamination procedures and handing out iodine tablets Vilnius municipal officials will only take part as observers after the city and the central government failed to agree on the scenario The Lithuanian government says that the Astravyets nuclear power plant currently under construction some 50 kilometers from Vilnius and less than 30 kilometers from the Lithuanian border