VILNIUS — The billion euros that is reported to be missing from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant project never existed says Vince Novak,  director of nuclear safety at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The nuclear plant is being shut down and the EBRD is funding a lot of the process, which includes the building of alternative energy sources. Already, the construction process of new turbines at the Eketrėnai power station is under way. The nuclear fuel, which is being stored in the reactor, also needs a [private_supervisor]new storage facility, a project being managed by the German company Nukem Technologies.

In an interview with the Lietuvos Rytas daily, Novak denied that there had ever been the mysterious billion euros that had been reported in local media earlier in the year.

After the shutdown of the power plant was found to be taking way too long, the director of the plant was taken down and a new director put in his place. Osvaldas Čiukšys, a former diplomat was hired to manage the shut down and shortly after, news surfaced that one billion euros had gone missing.

Novak said he doubted that Čiukšys had spread the rumor and suggested that there had been a misunderstanding between the media and the energy ministry.

The head of nuclear safety cited figures that add up to the full amount, proving that none had gone missing.

“Let’s look at the numbers and see how absurd and ridiculous it seems that we allegedly lost billions. Here’s the end of last year for Ignalina nuclear power plant when the funds totaled €714 million. This is the final number,” Novak said. “Of these, €476 million were allocated for the main contract of the nuclear power plant. The other €238 million was for projects not directly connected with the plant’s closure … Elektrėnai and Visaginas, Pabradė grids, and contribution to the link between Lithuania and Poland.”

Lietuvos Rytas and other newspapers implied that the Energy Minister Arvydas Sekmokas had spread the rumors, but again Novak played it down saying that the media must have misunderstood the message.

Currently the shut down of the plant is a few years behind schedule because of legal spats between the plant and Nukem technologies. The nuclear fuel holding vessels that will be built by the Germans should have been complete in 2008, but disagreements between the nuclear power plant and Nukem have slowed progess down by an estimated five years.

The entire process of finishing the shutdown of the plant will happen in 2030 by government estimates. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]new storage facility, a project being managed by the German company Nukem Technologies.

In an interview with the Lietuvos Rytas daily, Novak denied that there had ever been the mysterious billion euros that had been reported in local media earlier in the year.

After the shutdown of the power plant was found to be taking way too long, the director of the plant was taken down and a new director put in his place. Osvaldas Čiukšys, a former diplomat was hired to manage the shut down and shortly after, news surfaced that one billion euros had gone missing.

Novak said he doubted that Čiukšys had spread the rumor and suggested that there had been a misunderstanding between the media and the energy ministry.

The head of nuclear safety cited figures that add up to the full amount, proving that none had gone missing.

“Let’s look at the numbers and see how absurd and ridiculous it seems that we allegedly lost billions. Here’s the end of last year for Ignalina nuclear power plant when the funds totaled €714 million. This is the final number,” Novak said. “Of these, €476 million were allocated for the main contract of the nuclear power plant. The other €238 million was for projects not directly connected with the plant’s closure … Elektrėnai and Visaginas, Pabradė grids, and contribution to the link between Lithuania and Poland.”

Lietuvos Rytas and other newspapers implied that the Energy Minister Arvydas Sekmokas had spread the rumors, but again Novak played it down saying that the media must have misunderstood the message.

Currently the shut down of the plant is a few years behind schedule because of legal spats between the plant and Nukem technologies. The nuclear fuel holding vessels that will be built by the Germans should have been complete in 2008, but disagreements between the nuclear power plant and Nukem have slowed progess down by an estimated five years.

The entire process of finishing the shutdown of the plant will happen in 2030 by government estimates. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]new storage facility, a project being managed by the German company Nukem Technologies.

In an interview with the Lietuvos Rytas daily, Novak denied that there had ever been the mysterious billion euros that had been reported in local media earlier in the year.

After the shutdown of the power plant was found to be taking way too long, the director of the plant was taken down and a new director put in his place. Osvaldas Čiukšys, a former diplomat was hired to manage the shut down and shortly after, news surfaced that one billion euros had gone missing.

Novak said he doubted that Čiukšys had spread the rumor and suggested that there had been a misunderstanding between the media and the energy ministry.

The head of nuclear safety cited figures that add up to the full amount, proving that none had gone missing.

“Let’s look at the numbers and see how absurd and ridiculous it seems that we allegedly lost billions. Here’s the end of last year for Ignalina nuclear power plant when the funds totaled €714 million. This is the final number,” Novak said. “Of these, €476 million were allocated for the main contract of the nuclear power plant. The other €238 million was for projects not directly connected with the plant’s closure … Elektrėnai and Visaginas, Pabradė grids, and contribution to the link between Lithuania and Poland.”

Lietuvos Rytas and other newspapers implied that the Energy Minister Arvydas Sekmokas had spread the rumors, but again Novak played it down saying that the media must have misunderstood the message.

Currently the shut down of the plant is a few years behind schedule because of legal spats between the plant and Nukem technologies. The nuclear fuel holding vessels that will be built by the Germans should have been complete in 2008, but disagreements between the nuclear power plant and Nukem have slowed progess down by an estimated five years.

The entire process of finishing the shutdown of the plant will happen in 2030 by government estimates. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]new storage facility, a project being managed by the German company Nukem Technologies.

In an interview with the Lietuvos Rytas daily, Novak denied that there had ever been the mysterious billion euros that had been reported in local media earlier in the year.

After the shutdown of the power plant was found to be taking way too long, the director of the plant was taken down and a new director put in his place. Osvaldas Čiukšys, a former diplomat was hired to manage the shut down and shortly after, news surfaced that one billion euros had gone missing.

Novak said he doubted that Čiukšys had spread the rumor and suggested that there had been a misunderstanding between the media and the energy ministry.

The head of nuclear safety cited figures that add up to the full amount, proving that none had gone missing.

“Let’s look at the numbers and see how absurd and ridiculous it seems that we allegedly lost billions. Here’s the end of last year for Ignalina nuclear power plant when the funds totaled €714 million. This is the final number,” Novak said. “Of these, €476 million were allocated for the main contract of the nuclear power plant. The other €238 million was for projects not directly connected with the plant’s closure … Elektrėnai and Visaginas, Pabradė grids, and contribution to the link between Lithuania and Poland.”

Lietuvos Rytas and other newspapers implied that the Energy Minister Arvydas Sekmokas had spread the rumors, but again Novak played it down saying that the media must have misunderstood the message.

Currently the shut down of the plant is a few years behind schedule because of legal spats between the plant and Nukem technologies. The nuclear fuel holding vessels that will be built by the Germans should have been complete in 2008, but disagreements between the nuclear power plant and Nukem have slowed progess down by an estimated five years.

The entire process of finishing the shutdown of the plant will happen in 2030 by government estimates. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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