News & events

2015-09-08

Reconstruction of the 330 kV switchyard – the gate of LitPol Link - completed

One of the key components of the electricity interconnection with Poland LitPol Link - the 330 kV switchyard at the Alytus transformer substation was completed in the beginning of September. As soon as LitPol Link starts operating, the switchyard will become the crossroad of the power flows between Lithuania and Poland.
 
“The Alytus substation will be the gate of LitPol Link - that is where the power flows between two countries will start. The modernised and expanded substation will also ensure a reliable power supply to Alytus region,” said Karolis Sankovski, Member of the Board and Director of the Strategic Infrastructure Department of Litgrid.
 
The reconstruction works started in Butkūnai in autumn 2013. The reconstruction has involved the expansion and modernisation of the switchyard, and a reduction of its annual maintenance costs by reducing the amount of electrical equipment there. In order to increase reliability of the switchyard and thus reliability of the entire transmission grid, the issues of operational switching and emergency response were solved.
 
Two new 330 kV power transmission lines to the HVDC back-to-back converter and Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant will be connected to the modernised switchyard. This switchyard as well as the new 400 kV switchyard nearby currently under construction will operate together with the HVDC back-to-back converter station.
 
The LitPol Link power connection consists of three parts — the high-voltage double-circuit power transmission line, HVDC back-to-back converter station, and the transformer substation near Alytus and Ełk (Poland). The Ełk transformer substation was completed in late July.
 
Over €4 mln in funding (40% of the contract value) has been allocated to the reconstruction of the Alytus 330 kV switchyard by the Trans-European Energy Networks project.
The LitPol Link project is co-funded by the Connecting Europe Facility.