Lithuanian and Swedish energy co’s to sign up 1st part of power grids feasibility study

As the Lithuanian media extensively reported Lithuania‘s and Sweden’s energy companies this week will sign a contract on the first part of feasibility study into the interconnection of power grids of the two countries.

Lithuania‘s power utility Lietuvos Energija (Lithuanian Energy) and Sweden’s Svenska Kraftnat would sign a respective contract with Sweden’s Sweco International, which conducts the feasibility study, in Stockholm on November 5-6, Rymantas Juozaitis, Lietuvos Energija CEO, told BNS.

As the BNS reported the first part of the study covers the market analysis of interconnection of Lithuanian and Swedish power transmission systems (Swedlit), financial and economical terms and conditions of the project, the need for investments into the upgrade and strengthening of power grids.

The second stage of the study would involve a more detailed technical evaluation. The project is expected to be implemented by 2015 at the earliest, i.e. three years later compared with the date (by 2012) set out in the Lithuanian energy strategy. Sture Larsson, Svenska Kraftnat executive, has recently said that the technical part of the project could be executed in a couple of years, yet more time would be needed for legal harmonization.

Juozaitis put the value of power link between Lithuania and Sweden at some 550 million euros. The project involves the laying of 350 kilometers long 700-1,000 MW underwater cable across the Baltic Sea.

It is rather obvious that the President Valdas Adamkus will discuss the energy question during his official visit to Sweden on 13-14 of November.