2022-06-17
Litgrid sustainability performance: connected 217 MW of renewable energy sources to the grid; will use renewable energy for its own use; significantly increased green procurement
Over the past year, Litgrid, Lithuania’s electricity transmission system operator, has limited the use of environmentally hazardous materials, connected 250 MW of renewable power plants to the grid, fostered relations with local communities, and paid attention to the safety of its employees and to the favourable working conditions during the pandemic.
Litgrid published its Sustainability Report of 2021 on Friday, which provides an overview of its sustainability objectives and results for the previous year.
“Sustainable practices in the electricity sector have recently taken on new dimensions due to the geopolitical situation in the region, making secure electricity more important than ever. In addition to the usual sustainability activities, last year’s highlights included preventing unsafe electricity from third countries and preparing for the unscheduled synchronous connection to the continental European grid. At the same time, we continue to ensure that as much of Lithuania’s energy as possible comes from renewable sources, working towards a 100% target in the future. All of this will have a major impact on the people and businesses of Lithuania, the Baltic states and beyond. Reliable and independent energy and the integration of renewable resources into the electricity grid, which will ensure energy independence in the future, are the most important tasks of “Litgrid”,” says Rokas Masiulis, the CEO of Litgrid.
Avoiding polluting materials
Litgrid has a strong focus on innovation, combating climate change, delivering reliable electricity, upgrading and maintaining infrastructure.
One of the key objectives of Litgrid strategy is to reduce environmental impacts. In order to reduce environmental pollution and to follow the best practices of European operators, ENTSO-E, the organisation that connects the European operators, will upgrade 6 transformer substations by 2028 to be free of substances that have a negative impact on climate warming and the environment, such as sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas or oil insulation. When ensuring reliable and safe maintenance of the electricity transmission system, there have been no critical system disconnections or incidents resulting in damage to the environment.
Last year, Litgrid started installing solar power plants at the substations it manages, where the electricity generated will be used for its own needs. The plan is to install such power plants in 21 substations. This will allow Litgrid to reduce its carbon emissions and save on its electricity costs.
In order to reduce its environmental impact, the company is committed to prioritising green procurement. The company’s goal is to make all public procurement green by 2030 and to integrate sustainability criteria into the requirements for contracting companies. In 2021, green procurements accounted for 30% of all procurements.
In 2021, Litgrid connected 217 MW of renewable energy power sources to the electricity system.
Noise reduction solution for residents
As part of its commitment to communities, Litgrid has been working with local people for the past five years and has been in contact with residents where strategic projects are underway or will be implemented.
During 2021, 19 meetings were held with local communities in Eastern and Western Lithuania. As part of the LitPol Link extension between Lithuania and Poland, one of the largest recent strategic energy projects in the country, a residential noise reduction project was undertaken based on the needs of the local community. The first phase was implemented in December 2021.
High customer satisfaction rates
In 2021, Litgrid conducted a customer survey based on the Global Customer Satisfaction Index (GCSI). The GCSI’s customer satisfaction score of 79 is in line with the scores achieved by companies with a high standard of service delivery.
Employee safety and health remains one of the top priorities of Litgrid. The company has managed to ensure that no fatal or serious accidents have been reported in the last few years, either by contractors or by company employees. Litgrid not only provides training and safety training for employees, but has also carried out over 200 inspections of contractors’ compliance with occupational safety requirements. If the inspection reveals non-compliance, the works shall be suspended until the deficiencies are corrected.
In preparing its Sustainability Report, Litgrid follows the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the recommendations of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which help to assess its performance in terms of relevant economic, environmental, labour, human rights, market and community relations indicators.
Litgrid is part of the EPSO-G group of companies, which aims to ensure Lithuania’s smooth and reliable transition to an energy system that integrates large amounts of renewable energy sources, by enabling the decarbonisation of the sector, initiating interconnection projects and facilitating the exchange of climate neutral energy. The group is implementing the transformation of the energy sector by ensuring a balance between environmental, social and economic objectives.
