Energy, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Lithuania

Photo: enmin.lt

Contractors say that the project poses no major challenges and will be carried out smoothly.

Lithuania's power transmission system operator Litgrid signed on Tuesday a contract worth almost 29 million euros with Lithuania's road and bridge construction company Kauno Tiltai and Sweden's energy and automation technologies group ABB

The project involves upgrading the transformer substation of the shutdown Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant and the Utena transformer substation, as well as dismantling a high voltage overhead line connecting the Ignalina NPP substation to Belarus' grid.

Virbickas said that this is not the only project necessary for synchronization, but a very important one. He noted that it will be the first time that Litgrid will have reconstructed two substations at the same time.

Deputy Energy Minister Egidijus Purlys also said that this is one of the most important projects in preparation for synchronization.

"This contract marks a significant stage in preparing for synchronization with the Western European network," Purlys said.

"It is very important that this project of economic significance to the state is implemented on time, because further preparations for the 2025 synchronization will also depend on it," he added.

Pirkko Nordstrom, vice-president at ABB's Finnish unit, said that she saw no major challenges in implementing the project.

"I don't see any major difficulties. Of course, we had to learn how to work together, but I'm convinced that it will go well. This is a very important big project. We have carried out projects in Lithuania before," she said.

The government last May granted the project the status of an important economic project. The project is expected to be completed by 2021.