VILNIUS - The Kruonis Hydropump Plant, the Baltic's only hydroelectric power station, has said it intended to expand operations by adding new instillations with the help of foreign investment, the Lietuvos Rytas daily reported on July 27.
A feasibility study on the project, which will determine how many units to install – one, two or possibly even four – will be completed in the near future.
"The expanded plant would be too large when compared to Lithuania's needs. So we do not see any reason to invest our own funds," said Rymantas Juozaitis, CEO of Lietuvos Energija (Lithuanian Energy), the state-run power utility that manages the plant. "We will announce an international tender for the construction of several more units. As soon as we have new installations, we will do business."
The installation of four units would require an investment of 750 million litas (217 million euros).
According to several sources, the system regulation services offered by the plant will be of particular interest to Russia.
This, in turn, should prompt Lithuania's authorities to adopt a political decision on the plant's expansion.
The Kruonis plant currently operates four units, which, although built during the Soviet period, were only initiated after Lithuania regained independence. The plant is unique in that it produces so-called peak electricity, which sells at a higher rate.
The plant itself is charged by the balancing of generated power and consumption. When generators shut down at Lithuania's nuclear power plant, Kruonis HP generators are automatically triggered to switch on, thus compensating for any shortage of power.
During a surplus of generated power, the hydroelectric plant uses the surplus power to pump water from the Nemunas River to the upper reservoir. Amidst a deficit of power generation during peak hours, the plant releases water from the upper reservoir to a lagoon in Kaunas, thus generating additional electricity.
Experts peg the value of the plant at almost 2 billion litas, which could potentially rise if the proposed Lithuania – Poland power transmission line is installed.
