Lithuania's First Green Hydrogen Plant Permitted

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Klaipeda State Seaport Authority (Klaipeda, Lithuania) has been granted the green light to build the first green hydrogen production facility in Lithuania and the Baltic States to produce and supply green hydrogen for vessels, trucks, buses and port equipment.

Construction at Klaipeda Port, the largest in the Baltics, is expected to begin in the coming month for a facility that will produce 127 tonnes of hydrogen per year, or about roughly 350 kilograms (kg) per day. The 2.25-megawatt (MW) hydrogen plant will be installed in a standard 40-foot sea container using the VIVO proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer from IMI (Birmingham, U.K.), which will be powered by renewable electricity. European ports are under pressure to comply with European Union (EU) targets for lowering emissions from shipping vessels and introducing alternative fuels. The revised 2023 strategy agreed with the International Maritime Organisation sets a goal of net-zero emissions from ships "by or around, i.e. close to, 2050". This calls for reducing emissions from ships by at least 20% - striving for 30% - in 2030 and at least 70% - striving for 80% - in 2040. The strategy also sets a target of at least 5% or up to 10% uptake of zero or near-zero greenhouse gas-emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources by 2030.

"Klaipeda Port has set an ambitious goal -- to become the first in Lithuania and the Baltic region operating a green hydrogen production station. Being the first means stepping into uncharted territory," said Algis Latakas, director general of the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority. "That is not always easy, but it is undoubtedly worth it. By choosing the green path, Klaipeda Port demonstrates its commitment to the European Union's and Lithuania's obligations and is taking bold steps forward: next year, we plan to start producing green hydrogen, and a green hydrogen-powered vessel is already being built."

The 12 million-euro (US$13.7 million) project is part of Europe's Next Generation Lithuania recovery plan, with half of the funding supplied by the EU's NextGenerationEU facility. Lithuania has a target of 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of electrolysis capacity by 2030 and 8.5 GW by 2050, with green hydrogen production reaching 732,000 tonnes, which would represent 32% of Lithuania's total final energy demand by 2050. Industrial Info is tracking five green hydrogen projects in Lithuania worth more than US$235 million in investment. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.

The green hydrogen push will be closely linked to how much renewable energy Lithuania can install as it transitions away from fossil-fuels. The country was one of the most-reliant on Russian coal, oil and gas imports before the Ukrainian conflict and sanctions against Russia. Today, oil and gas still account for more than half of the country's power, but the country has a robust and fast-growing renewable sector that accounts for almost 30% of all power. It is looking at developing significant capacities in offshore wind (4.5 GW), onshore wind (10 GW) and solar (9 GW) by 2050. Industrial Info is tracking 30 solar and wind projects [onshore and offshore] worth more than US$7 billion in investment. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).