President in the Media

The Mainichi Daily News: "Lithuania : planning new nuclear power plant / Hitachi-GE as “strategic investor” / President Grybauskaite trusts in Japanese technology"

By Koichi Shinoda in Vilnius, Mainichi Shimbun

After Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, Lithuania announced a decision to order new nuclear power plant with Japan. Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite granted an exclusive interview to Mainichi Shimbun in Vilnius, and showed her expectation to quality of Japanese high technology.

Regarding nuclear power plant, Vietnam and Japan has signed an intergovernmental agreement in October. These highlights foreign countries' expectation of Japanese nuclear power plant technology, in contrast with resistance toward nuclear power in Japan.

In July, Lithuanian government announced that Hitachi-GE has selected as ‘strategic investor' for building new ABWR in Visaginas. The government plans to sign an agreement with Hitachi this year and to complete construction by the end of 2020.

" We understand people becomes sensitive to nuclear power plant by shock after a disaster," "but Fukushima disaster happened not because of lack of technology nor maintenance, but natural disaster',' Grybauskaite says.

Lithuania gained independence from former Soviet Union in 1990s, joined NATO and EU, getting westernized rapidly to break away completely from Russia. But since Lithuania stopped aging nuclear power plant which was the same type of Chernobyl power plant in 2009, Lithuania now dependents on imports for 80 % of domestic energy from Russia.

"There are countries which needs nuclear power plant. Shifting over to renewable energy takes time in reality", Grybauskaite says.

Regarding official order with Hitachi, "it is in negotiation. We need to negotiate details", Grybauskaite said.

Press Service of the President