Litgrid : planned expansion of the Northwest electricity transmission network has been granted the status of special state importance

2024-05-09

Litgrid's planned expansion of the Northwest electricity transmission network has been granted the status of special state importance

On Thursday, 9th May, the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania granted the status of a project of special national importance to Litgrid, the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator, for its planned electricity transmission network development projects in the Northwest of Lithuania. The construction of the new facilities will increase energy security, ensure the reliable transmission of electricity, stable operation of the system, and create conditions for the development of renewable energy sources.

The Northwest electricity transmission grid development projects include the construction of the 330 kV Darbėnai-Varduva-Mūša and Panevėžys-Mūša transmission lines, the construction of the 330 kV Varduva transformer substation, and the installation of shunt reactors at the Darbėnai and Mūša switchyard stations.

"These projects will expand Lithuania's 330 kV line network in Northwest Lithuania, ensuring stable and reliable power flows in the region. In addition, the new 330 kV transmission lines from Darbėnai to Panevėžys are important for the development of renewable energy. It will be an additional electricity highway between the West of the country, where renewable energy is rapidly developing and offshore wind farms are planned, and the East, where electricity consumption is growing the most," says Rokas Masiulis, Litgrid CEO.

With the rapid development of renewable energy sources, the amount of energy produced by solar and wind power plants on the grid is constantly increasing. Changes in renewable generation lead to a redistribution of electricity flows, with more wind generation being connected to the grid in western Lithuania and more solar in eastern Lithuania. As renewable integration in the Northwest Lithuania continues to grow, it is essential to ensure the reliability and quality of electricity transmission in the 330 kV grid."

The 330 kV Darbėnai switchyard is an important energy hub that will distribute the electricity generated by the future offshore wind farms across the country along the transmission lines of western Lithuania. The new north-western transmission lines from Darbėnai to Panevėžys will increase the reliability of the grid and open the possibility of integrating a new interconnector with Latvia.

The development of the new infrastructure will allow the reliable operation of the energy system to be maintained after synchronisation with the continental European grids, while at the same time developing local electricity generation capacity from renewable energy sources.

The length of the Northwest electricity transmission network interconnectors - Darbėnai-Varduva-Mūša and Panevėžys-Mūša - is expected to be around 240 kilometres. It is estimated that the construction projects for the new facilities could be completed by 2034.