Lithuania plans to build roughly 10 new power facilities reaching an aggregate 800 MW by the year 2033, alongside establishing seven independent energy districts designed to safeguard its electrical network from extreme weather events, sabotage attempts, and other crises.
The upcoming infrastructure aims to ensure electricity supplies remain stable even if the main transmission grid is unavailable, according to Andrius Šemeškavičius, head of the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid, as reported by LIGA and LRT.
The project involves creating seven autonomous energy zones capable of supplying the regions with electricity on their own. These grid sections can function separately from the primary 330-kV transmission network when conditions require it; such isolated microgrids lack external links, making them uncommon across Europe and harder to manage since they cannot use cross-border power exchanges to smooth out supply and demand imbalances.
“Energy islands are regions of the power system capable of operating independently when the main 330-kV power transmission grid is unavailable,” explained Andrius Šemeškavičius, head of the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid.
Private investors selected through auctions will build the new facilities, and winning bidders will have five years to construct them before providing services to ensure the power grid’s autonomous operation for 15 years. Each of the approximately 10 new power plants will feature a capacity of 50 to 100 MW and are expected to be capable of coming online within 30 minutes.
While gas-fired power plants are currently noted by Šemeškavičius as the most likely option, the operator will not restrict investors to specific technologies, meaning hydrogen, biomethane, or liquid fuel could also be used.
During standard operations, these facilities are permitted to sell their output on the open market whenever market conditions make it profitable, and Šemeškavičius pointed out that Litgrid’s contracting of standalone running services will place no limits on the plants’ activities during other periods.
In the worst possible emergency, households should still get power for a minimum of eight hours daily, whereas favorable solar and wind conditions would allow the designated power island to deliver a continuous 24-hour supply, according to Šemeškavičius, as cited by LIGA and LRT.
Construction of the power plants could cost the private sector approximately 880 million euros. Litgrid projects that starting in 2033, the added expenses for these capabilities will adjust the electricity transmission fee by 0.67 cents per kWh, whereas the extra generation capacity should contribute to reducing both peak and baseline wholesale electricity costs.
Authorities plan to launch the bidding process in 2027, provided that all required legal and regulatory updates have been enacted. Potential risk factors for the project’s implementation include possible objections from local communities concerned about the construction of power plants near their homes, alongside other challenges such as obtaining regulatory approval and securing sufficient investment from the private sector.
The first four zones—located in the Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys–Šiauliai, and Klaipėda regions—are planned to be launched as early as 2028, enabling them to operate independently of the main grid albeit not at full capacity, with the full model featuring seven energy islands scheduled to be implemented by 2033.