RIGA – Russia has began construction of a nuclear power plant in the Kaliningrad region, just 10 km from the border with Lithuania, as it strives to becomes the region’s new energy powerhouse after the closure of the Ignalina reactor.

Russia’s atomic industry is hailing the €3.7 billion project, which includes two 1,150 megawatt reactors and massive investments in new infrastructure, as one of its[private_supervisor]“most ambitious.” Moscow hopes the first reactor will be built by 2016 and the second by 2018.

Lithuanian officials expressed dismay at the news, since, in their opinion, the atomic plant is economically senseless.

“I still can’t fully understand … who will Russia sell the power to?” Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said Thursday, adding that Russia has fast-tracked the Kaliningrad nuclear plant in reaction to Lithuania’s own plans to build a new atomic facility near the town of Visaginas.

Russia has not disguised the fact that it wants to export nearly all the power produced by the new nuclear plant, and has even invited a foreign investor to take a 49 percent stake in the project.

However, without cooperation from Lithuania and Poland, Russia risks getting stuck with a power plant without a market — barring, of course, undersea cables that could deliver kilowatts to Germany or Scandinavia. Russian energy officials have mapped out an “energy ring” encompassing the Baltic states, the Kaliningrad region, Poland, Germany and Scandinavia – an idea that has yet to be accepted by surrounding states, all of whom are EU members.

Meanwhile, Russian officials are trying to woo Lithuania’s leadership to win them over to the Kaliningrad project. In Helsinki Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a lengthy conversation with President Dalia Grybauskaitė, during which he tried to convince her that Lithuania could gain from the Kaliningrad reactors, while President Dmitry Medvedev recently extended an invitation to Grybauskaitė to visit Moscow.

Naturally, wooing comes with a carrot. In Finland, Putin suggested that Russia could reconsider the price for natural gas that Lithuania is purchasing. For his part, Kubilius said that, over the long run it would be best for Lithuania to pay more for energy and keep its independence.

The Kaliningrad plant, called the Baltic Nuclear Power Plant, is unprecedented in that less than two years elapsed since the project was first announced (April 2008) and construction began. Normally four to five years pass, if not more, in order to clear regulatory hurdles.[/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]“most ambitious.” Moscow hopes the first reactor will be built by 2016 and the second by 2018.

Lithuanian officials expressed dismay at the news, since, in their opinion, the atomic plant is economically senseless.

“I still can’t fully understand … who will Russia sell the power to?” Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said Thursday, adding that Russia has fast-tracked the Kaliningrad nuclear plant in reaction to Lithuania’s own plans to build a new atomic facility near the town of Visaginas.

Russia has not disguised the fact that it wants to export nearly all the power produced by the new nuclear plant, and has even invited a foreign investor to take a 49 percent stake in the project.

However, without cooperation from Lithuania and Poland, Russia risks getting stuck with a power plant without a market — barring, of course, undersea cables that could deliver kilowatts to Germany or Scandinavia. Russian energy officials have mapped out an “energy ring” encompassing the Baltic states, the Kaliningrad region, Poland, Germany and Scandinavia – an idea that has yet to be accepted by surrounding states, all of whom are EU members.

Meanwhile, Russian officials are trying to woo Lithuania’s leadership to win them over to the Kaliningrad project. In Helsinki Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a lengthy conversation with President Dalia Grybauskaitė, during which he tried to convince her that Lithuania could gain from the Kaliningrad reactors, while President Dmitry Medvedev recently extended an invitation to Grybauskaitė to visit Moscow.

Naturally, wooing comes with a carrot. In Finland, Putin suggested that Russia could reconsider the price for natural gas that Lithuania is purchasing. For his part, Kubilius said that, over the long run it would be best for Lithuania to pay more for energy and keep its independence.

The Kaliningrad plant, called the Baltic Nuclear Power Plant, is unprecedented in that less than two years elapsed since the project was first announced (April 2008) and construction began. Normally four to five years pass, if not more, in order to clear regulatory hurdles.[/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]“most ambitious.” Moscow hopes the first reactor will be built by 2016 and the second by 2018.

Lithuanian officials expressed dismay at the news, since, in their opinion, the atomic plant is economically senseless.

“I still can’t fully understand … who will Russia sell the power to?” Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said Thursday, adding that Russia has fast-tracked the Kaliningrad nuclear plant in reaction to Lithuania’s own plans to build a new atomic facility near the town of Visaginas.

Russia has not disguised the fact that it wants to export nearly all the power produced by the new nuclear plant, and has even invited a foreign investor to take a 49 percent stake in the project.

However, without cooperation from Lithuania and Poland, Russia risks getting stuck with a power plant without a market — barring, of course, undersea cables that could deliver kilowatts to Germany or Scandinavia. Russian energy officials have mapped out an “energy ring” encompassing the Baltic states, the Kaliningrad region, Poland, Germany and Scandinavia – an idea that has yet to be accepted by surrounding states, all of whom are EU members.

Meanwhile, Russian officials are trying to woo Lithuania’s leadership to win them over to the Kaliningrad project. In Helsinki Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a lengthy conversation with President Dalia Grybauskaitė, during which he tried to convince her that Lithuania could gain from the Kaliningrad reactors, while President Dmitry Medvedev recently extended an invitation to Grybauskaitė to visit Moscow.

Naturally, wooing comes with a carrot. In Finland, Putin suggested that Russia could reconsider the price for natural gas that Lithuania is purchasing. For his part, Kubilius said that, over the long run it would be best for Lithuania to pay more for energy and keep its independence.

The Kaliningrad plant, called the Baltic Nuclear Power Plant, is unprecedented in that less than two years elapsed since the project was first announced (April 2008) and construction began. Normally four to five years pass, if not more, in order to clear regulatory hurdles.[/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]“most ambitious.” Moscow hopes the first reactor will be built by 2016 and the second by 2018.

Lithuanian officials expressed dismay at the news, since, in their opinion, the atomic plant is economically senseless.

“I still can’t fully understand … who will Russia sell the power to?” Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said Thursday, adding that Russia has fast-tracked the Kaliningrad nuclear plant in reaction to Lithuania’s own plans to build a new atomic facility near the town of Visaginas.

Russia has not disguised the fact that it wants to export nearly all the power produced by the new nuclear plant, and has even invited a foreign investor to take a 49 percent stake in the project.

However, without cooperation from Lithuania and Poland, Russia risks getting stuck with a power plant without a market — barring, of course, undersea cables that could deliver kilowatts to Germany or Scandinavia. Russian energy officials have mapped out an “energy ring” encompassing the Baltic states, the Kaliningrad region, Poland, Germany and Scandinavia – an idea that has yet to be accepted by surrounding states, all of whom are EU members.

Meanwhile, Russian officials are trying to woo Lithuania’s leadership to win them over to the Kaliningrad project. In Helsinki Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a lengthy conversation with President Dalia Grybauskaitė, during which he tried to convince her that Lithuania could gain from the Kaliningrad reactors, while President Dmitry Medvedev recently extended an invitation to Grybauskaitė to visit Moscow.

Naturally, wooing comes with a carrot. In Finland, Putin suggested that Russia could reconsider the price for natural gas that Lithuania is purchasing. For his part, Kubilius said that, over the long run it would be best for Lithuania to pay more for energy and keep its independence.

The Kaliningrad plant, called the Baltic Nuclear Power Plant, is unprecedented in that less than two years elapsed since the project was first announced (April 2008) and construction began. Normally four to five years pass, if not more, in order to clear regulatory hurdles.[/private_subscription 1 year]

— This is a paid article. To subscribe or extend your subscription, click here.