Vilnius threatens to dismantle power lines to block electricity from Belarus NPP

Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas says his country is set to dismantle in 2020 Europe's most powerful electricity transmission line, which connects Lithuania's grid with Belarus, reports ru.delfi.lt.

Lithuania seeks to ban electricty exports from the Belarusian nuclear power plant in the European Union. Simultaneously, Vilnius is in talks with Brussels to create equal conditions for competition between EU energy producers and third countries. Lithuania is also interested in having energy from the Belarusian nuclear power plant and other similar stations that it describes as 'unsafe' blocked from entering the European Union's market.

The project to reconstruct two sub-stations in the north-western areas and dismantle the 750 kV power transmission lines connecting with the Belarus grid will cost Lithuania almost 30 million euros. Lithuania has five power transmission lines with Belarus. 

Unlike Lithuania, neighboring Latvia has not refused from importing electricity from Belarus. The Lithuanian minister says he is in talks with Riga on this issue.

Lithuania has consistently criticized the construction of a nuclear power plant in Astraviec, Belarus. In September 2017, the Lithuanian government approved a plan of actions to block electricity from the Belarusian nuclear power plant in order to put pressure on the construction of the station.