Last Friday, the unit’s generator, which is currently the most powerful in Lithuania and the Baltic countries, was connected to the transmission network for the first time, Lietuvos Energija said in a press release.
“It marks the beginning of electricity generation. Some 400 million kWh of electricity or about 5 percent of Lithuania’s total electricity needs are planned to be generated during four months of testing,” the press release quoted Dalius Misiūnas, Lietuvos Energija CEO, as saying.
Electricity generated during testing would reach the users through the transmission grid operated by Litgrid, Lietuvos Energija said adding that electricity would be sold through the energy exchange.
After the completion of testing, Lietuvos Energija would take the unit over from contractors. The unit is expected to launch normal operations in fall. It would replace the 3rd and the 4th units of Lietuvos Elektrinė (Lithuanian Power Plant), which were built in the 1960s, and would consume 30 percent less of gas.
The main installations will be maintained by their suppliers, including General Electric and Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion.
The new unit would cost some 353.6 million euros.
The construction is being financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Lietuvos Energija itself, and a consortium of Swedbank, SEB Bankas, DnB Nord, Nordea Bank Lietuva and Danske under an 81.4-million-euro loan agreement with the five banks.
Lietuvos Energija operates Lietuvos Elektrinė, Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant (KPSP) and Kaunas Hydro Power Plant.
