Ignitis has announced plans to expand the 900 MW Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant near Kruonis in central Lithuania. The group will invest EUR150 million (US$164 million) in expanding the facility by another 110 MW, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The current facility is divided into four units and operates with the Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant, which has a capacity of 101 MW and can cover around 3% of the country's electricity demand. The expansion of the pumping hydro facility is part of a plan for energy independence by 2050, which envisages the large-scale deployment of renewable energy resources.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Lithuania had an installed renewable energy capacity of 1,617 MW at the end of 2022, with 814 MW from wind power and 564 MW from photovoltaics. Despite these efforts, the country still relies heavily on energy imports. In order to achieve energy independence by 2050, Lithuania is expected to continue the deployment of renewable energy resources on a large scale.
The Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant expansion initiative by Ignitis is a crucial move towards achieving the country's energy independence objectives. This signals a stepping-up of Lithuania's ongoing efforts to increase its climate resilience, as the country has set a goal of 45% share of renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030.
