Lithuanias Energy Future

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Lithuanias Energy Future
The end of nuclear power Where to turn now?
Brigham Leslie Geography 308
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Lithuanian Energy

• Extremely important to the country
• 14 of all industrial employees
• 25 of the of the total assets of the countrys
  enterprises
• Significant portion of Lithuanias export profits
• 6.3 billion kWh of electricity exported in 2003

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Brief History
Brief History

• In the mid 1980s, under Soviet rule, two nuclear
  power reactors were built at Ignalina, northeast
  of the capital of Vilinus.
• Built to supply the northwest region of the USSR.
• When Lithuania gained independence in 1991, the
  country assumed full responsibility of the plant.

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Brief history

• For 15 years, the two nuclear power reactors at
  Ignalina accounted for an average of 73 of
  Lithuanias electricity generation, the highest
  percentage of any country in the world.

Set world record in 1993 for the share of
nuclear-generated electricity in one country at
88.1
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Ignalina

• Ignalina Power plant (INPP)
• Two RBMK 1500, 1350MWe reactor units
• Built out of the Chernobyl mold
• Graphite Reactors
• Two most powerful nuclear reactors in Soviet
  history.

INPP generates far more power and electricity
than is needed for domestic use
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Acceptance into the EU

• Lithuania officially accepted in 2004
• Extensive research in the countrys energy sector
• 2002 (by EUs orders) the Seimus (Parliament)
  adopted a revised version of The Lithuanian
  National Energy Strategy.
• New strategy called for the decommissioning of
  both Ignalinas nuclear power reactors

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Decommissioning of Ignalina

• Until recently, INPP employed close to 5,000
  people
• Devastating blow to the surrounding community
• Only 800 jobs retained from the original 5,000
• Could possibly create new, different jobs

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Decommissioning process

• Decommissioning controlled dismantling, removal,
  processing, and storage of all radioactive or
  contaminated wastes
• Includes buildings, equipment, materials, even
  office supplies
• Three main steps in the process

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Step 1 Planning and Preparation

• Building of support facilities to allow first
  reactor to close
• Boiler plants
• Construction of storage facilities to store
  materials deemed reusable
• Construction of radioactive/contaminated waste
  storage
• Could include a half-mile deep pit (similar to a
  mine shaft.)
• Similar to Yucca Mountain in Nevada

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Step 2 Fuel Removal Dismantling

• Incredibly expensive
• EU allocated 200 million euros to the project
• Highly technical
• Done remotely, using purpose-built robots
• Time consuming
• De-fueling of the units alone will take nearly 4
  years
• Entire decommissioning process will take 30 years

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Step 3 Waste Handling and Storage

• As waste is removed, graded on radioactivity
• Stored accordingly
• Three options, all expensive and complicated
• 1.) Burry it in Lithuania
• 2.) Export the waste abroad
• 3.) Build a regional repository with cooperation
  from neighboring countries

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Burying the Waste in Lithuania

• Philosophical questionIs it safe?
• 700,000 years from some radioactive waste to
  loose it dangerous qualities
• Burial site?
• Locals express NIMBY attitude
• Size of Lithuania comparable to West Virginia so
  the entire nation could be at risk
• Final disposal complicated
• Where, what, who and how

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Exporting the Waste

• Huge Problem for Lithuania
• Option ignored due to weak financial capabilities
• Risk of transporting wastes
• Accidents, terrorism, and theft
• Who to export it to?
• Are they capable of safe storage
• Some countries would offer to purchase the waste
  with no plan for disposal
• Ability to make nuclear bombs
• If some state does accept, it would cost billions

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Regional Repository

• Again, is it safe?
• Need cooperation of neighboring countries
• Difficult due to ethnic and historical resentment
• High levels of fear and skepticism stemming from
  the Chernobyl incident in Ukraine
• Only viable for the next 50 yearsthen what?

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Other Energy Sources

• Currently, including hydro, only 7.9 generated
  by renewable resources
• Lithuania has almost no primary energy resources
• Primary energy supply dominated by Russian
  Imports

All crude oil, natural gas, and nuclear fuel
imported solely from Russian sources
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New Energy Sources in Lithuania

• Development of new sources extremely important
  due to the EUs energy policy
• Requires 7 of electricity consumed domestically
  to come from renewable and waste resources
• Kyoto Protocol emphasis on emissions control and
  sustainable energy

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Renewable Energy Sources

• Loss in supply means a increase in energy prices
• With Lithuanias energy supply reduced by over
  1/3, renewable sources now extremely important
• Viable options
• Wood, straw, peat, solar, bio-fuel, wind, and
  geo-thermal energy

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Renewable Energy Sources
Lithuanian RE Sources
Table courtesy of European Renewable Energy
Council
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Wood as an Energy Source

• Over 30 of land covered with forests
• Wood-based boiler plants dominate RE projects
• Aprox. 250MW
• Mainly for district heating use
• Expected to increase

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Peat for Fuel

• Peatlands are widespread
• Especially in the west and southeast
• Ranks 3rd in mineral commodities produced
• Briquettes used to heat homes
• Also expected to increase

www.peatlandsni.gov.uk/ history/fuel.htm
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Bio-fuel in Lithuania

• Bio-fuel produced mainly by rapeseeds
• 34 thousand tons/year of ethanol production
• Capacity to produce twice as large
• EU requires 5.75 of transport fuels to come from
  bio-fuel

news.bbc.co.uk/.../ uk/newsid_753000/753401.stm
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Solar Energy

• Used domestically to heat water
• Passive-solar energy to heat homes through
  windows
• Solar drying of agriculture products
• Too expensive to be economically viable, at least
  for now

www.statvoks.no/nicole/ ecole_background.htm
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Geo-thermal Energy

• Geothermal areas cover 80 of Lithuania.
• Geothermal plant in Klaipeda
• Rated capacity of 41MW
• Another proposed plant in Baisiogala

www.phschool.com/.../ renewable_energy.html
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Wind Power
Baltic Wind Atlas

• Expected to become important green energy
  source
• By 2010, 170MW capacities of wind turbines will
  be installed in Lithuania

Important to the coastal regions future
development
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Conclusion

• Funding for the energy sector overhaul provided
  by the EU.
• Privatization of the energy sector at 90
• International investments into energy sector
• Need to import technologies and skilled workers
• Lithuania forced to eliminate nuclear power
  quickly
• Results in energy price spike, unhappy citizens
• Lithuanians have yet to face the enormous costs
  of waste disposal
• Developing, rather poor country
• Much room for the development of renewable
  technologies

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Conclusion

• Strict EU energy policy will be tough to meet for
  Lithuania
• Seimus optimistic that with domestic and foreign
  support, country will be on pace with EUs
  requirements

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Bibliography

• Websites
• DTI 2004 Energy Projects
• http//www.energyprojects.co.uk/wind_energy_lt.htm
  
• World Energy Council
• http//www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/edc/countries/
  Lithuania.asp
• Department of Energy-USA
• http//www.fe.doe.gov/international/CentralEastern
  20Europe/lithover.html
• Lithuanian State of the Environment 2001
• http//www.am.lt/EN/VI/files/0.919984001036055560.
  pdf
• CIA World Factbook
• http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/
  lh.html
• Ministry of Environment-Lithuania
• http//www.am.lt/EN/VI/
• Ignalina Power Plant
• http//www.iae.lt/