Construction Starts at Lithuanian CHP Plant

---

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Construction has started on a 350 million-euro ($434 million) combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The announcement was made by state-owned Lietuvos Energija, which estimated that the plant, which is one of the largest energy projects underway in the country, will be up and running by the end of next year.

The plant will consist of two CHP units, one fuelled by non-recyclable municipal waste and the other by biomass. The municipal waste incineration unit will be able to produce 18 megawatts (MW) of electrical power and 53 MW of thermal power. The biomass unit will have a capacity of 70 MW of electrical power and 174 MW of thermal power. When commissioned, the plant will be able to supply enough heat and power for approximately 230,000 households.

"It is a new power plant that marks a new page in the history of energy and Vilnius. It is the phase where the actual work begins," said Darius Maikstenas, chief executive officer of Lietuvos Energija at the official kick-off ceremony.

The project has benefitted greatly from loans from a variety of European institutions. In 2016, Industrial Info reported that the European Commission (EC) had awarded 150 million euro ($186 million) in support of the project on the grounds that it "promoted energy efficiency" and is expected to generate energy savings of around 40%. Prior to this, Lietuvos Energija had secured a loan of 190 million euro ($236 million) from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the project. The total construction costs for the project are put at more than 380 million euro ($472 million). For additional information, see September 27, 2016, article - Lithuanian CHP Plant gets 150 Million-Euro Boost from EC.

The developer believes that Vilnius residents will pay 10 million euro ($12 million) less for waste management every year and the city will reduce its heating bill by up to 13 million euro ($16 million) each year. Heating costs for consumers from the plant are estimated to be 35% lower than the current consumer price.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.