VILNIUS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Lithuanian parliament approved on Thursday the country's new National Energy Independence Strategy aiming at producing all the energy the Baltic country needs from renewable energy sources (RES) by 2050.
"The strategy is advanced and ambitious not only as regards our region, but also in European context," Zygimantas Vaiciunas, Lithuania's minister of energy, was quoted as saying in a ministry's statement.
Lithuania aims at developing green energy, avoiding any negative effect as regards climate change, create and implement innovations which would allow "the customers to save and economy to grow", the minister added.
"It is symbolic that adoption of the new strategy coincided with finalization of the EU energy and climate talks. Lithuania and the whole EU agreed on long-term energy targets almost at the same time. I hope that together with the EU we will implement these targets, and not in a symbolic way," Vaiciunas underscored.
This week, the EU finalized new climate rules after months of talks, targeting a total energy saving of 32.5 percent and an increase in the share of renewable energy to 32 percent by 2030.
According to Lithuania's strategy, the country will produce 70 percent of its energy by 2030 and 45 percent of it will be produced from RES. By 2050, all Lithuania's energy will be produced from RES, the document states.
The strategy sets the goal to guarantee full security of Lithuania's energy system by 2020. The main steps towards this goal include full integration of the country's energy system into the EU, increased energy efficiency, developing RES, optimization and modernization of energy infrastructure.
