Lithuania’s Ignitis Group to add 582 MWh of battery storage projects

Lithuanian utility Ignitis Group has announced plans to develop 291 MW/582 MWh of BESS capacity at three of its clean energy sites and said the equipment will be supplied by Germany-based Rolls Royce Solutions GmbH.

Announcing a €130 million ($153 million) investment into the three sites on Tuesday, Ignitis said BESS would be installed at wind farms it operates in Kelmė and Mažeikiai and next to the Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant, which is also operated by an Ignitis company.

The Vilnius-based energy company said construction of the sites would start this year, with commercial operations to begin in 2027.

“Power generation from renewables is growing in Lithuania, which makes battery energy storage systems an important guarantee of [grid] reliability,” said Ignitis Group CEO Darius Maikštėnas. “They make the [electricity] network more flexible, enable efficient use of green energy, and help maintain [grid] stability even through heavy fluctuations [of electricity supply]. Battery energy storage systems are a key component of [the] green transition as they will help integrate more green [generation] capacities [and] balance the fluctuations in power prices as well as [reducing] them.”

Ignitis Group said “the information and generation control systems of the BESS will be protected against remote access from countries identified as posing a threat under Lithuania’s National Security Strategy.”

Late last year, Lithuania tightened cybersecurity laws, banning manufacturers from countries deemed national security threats, including China, from remotely accessing facilities. The European Solar Manufacturing Council has backed the move.