Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid has signed a design and project execution supervision services contract with energy infrastructure development and maintenance company Tetas for the reconstruction of the 330 kV Aizkrauklė-Panevėžys power line. The line upgrade will allow for increased electricity transmission capacity between Lithuania and Latvia and will contribute to the development of renewable energy sources (RES).
“The Aizkrauklė-Panevėžys line is important for the development of renewable energy in northern Lithuania, as investors are planning to build new wind and solar power plants in the region. This line is one of 4 interconnections with Latvia, and by reconstructing it, we will increase the capacity of the overhead line and improve its condition,” says Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Litgrid.
The 330 kV Aizkrauklė-Panevėžys line was built and commissioned in 1969, and the length of the overhead line is 83 kilometers. During the reconstruction work, it is planned to replace the existing single-circuit supports and conductors with double-circuit supports, installing single-circuit conductors and providing the possibility of connecting a second circuit in the future.
According to Ramūnas Papinigis, the CEO of Tetas, the company that won the public tender, will have to carry out the selection procedures for the environmental impact assessment of the planned economic activity, prepare the technical project for the line reconstruction, obtain a construction permit and provide project execution supervision services throughout the construction period of the object. The contract price is 1,075,690 EUR with VAT.
Aizkrauklė-Panevėžys crosses cultural heritage territories: Gasparėlių barrow cemetery, Narrow Gauge Railway complex, Pamiškių cemetery and Natura 2000 territories – Pamūšiai (Habitat Protection Areas), Gypsum Karst Lakes and their surroundings. Therefore, during the design stage, the need for archaeological research will be assessed before earthworks are carried out by the contractor, and special attention will be paid to environmental solutions that will ensure the least possible impact on immovable cultural heritage.
The project is planned to be completed in the 3rd quarter of 2025, and then, according to the prepared project, reconstruction works will be purchased. The reconstructed line is expected to be put into operation in 2029.
