Lithuanian minister sees potential to boost US LNG imports via Klaipeda terminal

VILNIUS - Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas, who is visiting Washington, D.C., this week, believes that Lithuania could ramp up liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the US through the Klaipeda LNG terminal to "the maximum possible volume".

"We see great potential for even broader and more intensive cooperation. LNG imports from the US via the Klaipeda LNG terminal could be increased to the maximum possible volume to meet the needs of the entire region," he said in a press release on Wednesday after a meeting with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

According to Vaiciunas, another goal for the terminal is to help meet Ukraine's gas supply needs by utilizing its capacity and the Lithuania-Poland Gas Interconnection (GIPL).

Vaiciunas and Wright also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in clean energy development, including nuclear energy, new technologies, and the protection of critical energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region.

The issues covered during the meeting included the potential use of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Lithuania, according to the press release.