The second unit of the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus, which was connected to the power grid last week, has no impact on the Lithuanian electricity transmission system, according to Litgrid.
“The Lithuanian electricity system is stable and reliable; the Astravyets nuclear power plant has no impact on electricity transmission in Lithuania,” Donatas Matelionis, director of Litgrid’s Power System Operations Department, told BNS in a comment.
The official said that Belarus had not informed Litgrid, the operator of Lithuania’s electricity grid, about the connection of the second unit.
“We were not informed about the connection of the second unit to the grid, but we recorded the start of electricity production, as we are constantly monitoring neighbouring electricity systems,” he said.
Litgrid did not say how a sudden disconnection of the Belarusian plant from the grid could affect Lithuania’s electricity system and its stability.
Matas Noreika, a spokesman for Litgrid, later told BNS the Astravyets NPP’s 2nd unit would not have any impact on the Lithuanian system, even if the nuclear facility were suddenly disconnected from the grid.
According to the Belarusian Ministry of Energy, the second unit will be put into commercial operation in October.
Lithuania and international experts say that the Astravyets plant’s construction was carried out in flagrant violation of technological and environmental standards.
Vilnius, one of the biggest critics of the plant, has repeatedly demanded that the facility be halted until all safety issues are resolved.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland do not buy electricity from the Astravyets facility. However, the Baltic countries still share the IPS/UPS system with Russia and Belarus, so physical flows of electricity continue to move between the countries.
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