VILNIUS — The Lithuanian government said it may start a criminal investigation into why the shutdown of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is facing delays and multimillion euro cost overruns.

Vice Minister of Energy Romas Švedas said on Wednesday that if the problems surrounding the shutdown of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant wouldn’t fix themselves, he would report the issue to [private_supervisor]the General Prosecutor’s Office.

The Soviet-era power plant was shut down at the start of the year, but still requires money and maintenance because the spent fuel used in the reactor cannot be stored anywhere. It is being held in the reactor itself, but storage containers should have been completed in 2008. By latest estimates, these will only be complete in 2011.

The government estimates that delays in the shutdown will cost the budget 50 percent more.

“It can not be that after three years of delays in projects there is no reason to hear. Just say its nobody’s fault while the accounts are growing by tens of millions of euros. The issue of responsibility has been raised already and will be raised again,” the vice minister said adding that he has no qualms about handing over the case to the prosecutor.

Recently the head of the plant was sacked over the delays and a new head was installed.

The radioactive storage facility will end up being delayed by 31 months Švedas told the Seimas, a delay that will cost the project 13 percent more alone.

In April last year Vince Novak, director of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s nuclear safety department, came to Vilnius and said he was frustrated by the delays in the process.

The European Union is bankrolling the shutdown of the plant, having already spent 4.7 billion litai (€1.36 billion) on helping the country achieve energy independence after plant shutdown. The plant was Lithuania’s primary power source before going offline New Year’s Eve — since then energy bills have gone up about 30 percent. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]the General Prosecutor’s Office.

The Soviet-era power plant was shut down at the start of the year, but still requires money and maintenance because the spent fuel used in the reactor cannot be stored anywhere. It is being held in the reactor itself, but storage containers should have been completed in 2008. By latest estimates, these will only be complete in 2011.

The government estimates that delays in the shutdown will cost the budget 50 percent more.

“It can not be that after three years of delays in projects there is no reason to hear. Just say its nobody’s fault while the accounts are growing by tens of millions of euros. The issue of responsibility has been raised already and will be raised again,” the vice minister said adding that he has no qualms about handing over the case to the prosecutor.

Recently the head of the plant was sacked over the delays and a new head was installed.

The radioactive storage facility will end up being delayed by 31 months Švedas told the Seimas, a delay that will cost the project 13 percent more alone.

In April last year Vince Novak, director of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s nuclear safety department, came to Vilnius and said he was frustrated by the delays in the process.

The European Union is bankrolling the shutdown of the plant, having already spent 4.7 billion litai (€1.36 billion) on helping the country achieve energy independence after plant shutdown. The plant was Lithuania’s primary power source before going offline New Year’s Eve — since then energy bills have gone up about 30 percent. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]the General Prosecutor’s Office.

The Soviet-era power plant was shut down at the start of the year, but still requires money and maintenance because the spent fuel used in the reactor cannot be stored anywhere. It is being held in the reactor itself, but storage containers should have been completed in 2008. By latest estimates, these will only be complete in 2011.

The government estimates that delays in the shutdown will cost the budget 50 percent more.

“It can not be that after three years of delays in projects there is no reason to hear. Just say its nobody’s fault while the accounts are growing by tens of millions of euros. The issue of responsibility has been raised already and will be raised again,” the vice minister said adding that he has no qualms about handing over the case to the prosecutor.

Recently the head of the plant was sacked over the delays and a new head was installed.

The radioactive storage facility will end up being delayed by 31 months Švedas told the Seimas, a delay that will cost the project 13 percent more alone.

In April last year Vince Novak, director of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s nuclear safety department, came to Vilnius and said he was frustrated by the delays in the process.

The European Union is bankrolling the shutdown of the plant, having already spent 4.7 billion litai (€1.36 billion) on helping the country achieve energy independence after plant shutdown. The plant was Lithuania’s primary power source before going offline New Year’s Eve — since then energy bills have gone up about 30 percent. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]the General Prosecutor’s Office.

The Soviet-era power plant was shut down at the start of the year, but still requires money and maintenance because the spent fuel used in the reactor cannot be stored anywhere. It is being held in the reactor itself, but storage containers should have been completed in 2008. By latest estimates, these will only be complete in 2011.

The government estimates that delays in the shutdown will cost the budget 50 percent more.

“It can not be that after three years of delays in projects there is no reason to hear. Just say its nobody’s fault while the accounts are growing by tens of millions of euros. The issue of responsibility has been raised already and will be raised again,” the vice minister said adding that he has no qualms about handing over the case to the prosecutor.

Recently the head of the plant was sacked over the delays and a new head was installed.

The radioactive storage facility will end up being delayed by 31 months Švedas told the Seimas, a delay that will cost the project 13 percent more alone.

In April last year Vince Novak, director of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s nuclear safety department, came to Vilnius and said he was frustrated by the delays in the process.

The European Union is bankrolling the shutdown of the plant, having already spent 4.7 billion litai (€1.36 billion) on helping the country achieve energy independence after plant shutdown. The plant was Lithuania’s primary power source before going offline New Year’s Eve — since then energy bills have gone up about 30 percent. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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