Lithuania, which is exploring the development of nuclear energy, will partner with Newcleo, an Italian company specialising in next-generation small modular reactor (SMR) technology, Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said on Friday.
According to him, a memorandum setting out specific areas of cooperation is planned to be signed with the Italians.
Speaking to BNS on Friday following a meeting with representatives of the firm, Vaičiūnas said a memorandum of understanding outlining specific areas of cooperation is set to be signed.
“We will have periodic evaluations and discussions [with Newcleo]. We also discussed long-term cooperation, which will depend on the development of the technologies themselves,” he said.
A government-appointed working group, established earlier this week, will also assess the feasibility of deploying small nuclear reactors in Lithuania, according to the minister.
“Newcleo is interesting to us because they are developing fourth-generation small nuclear reactors. Furthermore, there are indeed certain pilot projects and specific actions that allow us to conclude that this [SMR] technology may indeed be promising,” Vaičiūnas said, adding, “we follow the principle that all technologies should be evaluated.”
Newcleo representatives previously held talks with then Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys last year. Speaking to BNS in September, Kreivys said the company was working on lead-cooled reactor technology and noted that such reactors could potentially use spent and recycled nuclear fuel from Lithuania’s decommissioned Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
The Ignalina plant, which was built during the Soviet era, was shut down in 2010 as part of Lithuania’s EU accession agreement, due to safety concerns linked to its Soviet-designed reactors. Since then, Lithuania has relied heavily on imported energy, making the search for domestic, sustainable alternatives a key policy goal.
A referendum on constructing a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania failed to gain public approval, which has slowed progress in this area.
According to the Energy Ministry, in light of climate and energy security challenges, Lithuania could install nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of up to 1.5 gigawatts.
Newcleo’s focus on small modular reactors, which are designed to be safer, more flexible, and less costly than traditional large nuclear plants, aligns with Lithuania’s efforts to modernise its energy sector.
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