The much-awaited 'energy bridge' deal between Lithuania and Poland to connect their electrical network has been postponed, the Associated Press has reported.
To make up for the electricity deficit anticipated due to the closing down of an atomic facility in Ignalina at the end of 2009, Lithuania intends to connect its energy grid with the EU through Poland.
The Associated Press quoted Valdas Adamkus, president of Lithuania, as saying: I may assure you the bridge will be built. The deal was not formalized only because of technical problems, with will probably be solved by the end of the month.
Apparently, the E300 million energy bridge project is linked to the construction of a E4 billion new nuclear power plant that the two countries plan to build with Latvia and Estonia. While Poland is demanding approximately 37% of the new plant’s electricity generation capacity, Lithuania’s law on nuclear energy allots only a 22% stake to Poland in the project, the report said.
The report quoted Poland’s economy minister, Piotr Wocniak, as saying that if Poland did not receive what it wanted, all other projects would be postponed – a clear allusion to the energy bridge.