News & events

2016-12-29

Scope of Investment in the Transmission Grid Reliability: EUR 18 million

Litgrid’s investments in the transmission network upgrading projects amounted to over EUR 18 million in 2016. Upgrading of two transformer substations was completed, and work has been started on other eight substations. A fully digitalised 110 kilovolt (kV) transformer substation in Vidiškiai (Ukmergė district) is a unique project in the Baltic States. In this substation, all the wires have been replaced with optical fibre cables meeting the highest safety requirements and capable of accumulating and transmitting huge amounts of information. 
 
‘Nowadays a transmission grid faces different challenges compared to those that were present at the time of its construction. The scope of generation of electricity from renewable energy sources has been increasing, the geography of largest electricity producers and customers has changed, and the grid receives electricity flows from five neighbouring systems‘, says Daivis Virbickas, CEO of Litgrid, the electricity transmission system operator. 
 
The most important grid reconstruction works of this year include the modernisation of two 110 kV overhead transmission lines. The transmission line between Trakai and Merkinė, i. e. one of the lines delivering electricity to residents in Druskininkai area, has been modernised by replacing old and worn-out pylons and lightning-protection cables. Works of the same type have been completed on the overhead transmission line between Zarasai and Utena; in addition, optical fibers have been installed to improve the automatic data transmission. 
 
Reconstruction of 330 kV transformer substations was continued this year. Telšiai, Utena, Jurbarkas and Šiauliai substations are being equipped with control systems that will automatically transmit data to the System Control Centre, enabling an effective response to incidents in the system and a remote control of the substation equipment. 
 
As part of implementation of the project on the 3rd section of the western bypass road of Vilnius City, Litgrid installed underground cables along the section, replacing two overhead transmission lines. 20 towers have been dismantled in the area between the Viršuliškės substation and the Vakarinė street. 
 
Every year, Litgrid upgrades on average 5-6 transformer substations and replaces up to 350 pylons in the electricity transmission grid. Such rate of work will enable the company to gradually upgrade the whole transmission network and to optimally allocate investment funds. 
 
All high-voltage electrical equipment upgrading works are planned in such a way that the reliable transmission of electricity to residents and businesses is not disrupted. 
 
According to the plan on the development of the electric power system, by 2025 reconstruction of 53 transformer substations (110 kV) will be started and upgrading of all the largest 330 kV transformer substations will be completed. It is estimated that nearly EUR 170 million will be invested in the reconstruction of the transmission grid in 2016-2025. Investments in the transmission grid upgrading projects totalled approx. EUR 23 million in 2015 and approx. EUR 22.5 million in 2014. 
 
The Lithuanian electricity transmission grid consists of over 230 transformer substations and over 7,000 kilometres of high-voltage overhead and cable transmission lines.