Energy in Lithuania
The article describes the situation of Lithuania's energy power generation, energy trading, energy consumption and energy reserves in Lithuania.
The EU member Lithuania has as a former part of the state of the Soviet Union (until 1990 ) to a particular situation in the energy. The pivotal point was the Ignalina nuclear power plant, in the years 1977-1985 ( Units 1 and 2 ) was built and was intended for the power supply in the entire North West region of the Soviet Union. His decreed by the EU in the accession negotiations decommissioning December 31, 2009 makes the nuclear power exporter an importer who relies heavily at this moment on supplies of fossil fuels or electricity from Russia and Belarus. Is correspondingly high political sensitivity of energy supply in Lithuania.
- 3.1 Cable Network
- 3.2 trade
- 3.3 consumption
- 3.4 liberalization 3.4.1 Gas Price
- 4.1 mains and electricity trading
- 6.1 Notes and references
Total energy market
Lithuania in 2006 had a primary energy consumption of 8.6 million tons of oil equivalent ( mtoe ). These are about 2.5 tonnes per capita, compared to about 6.1 tonnes per capita in Germany. When importing from 12.2 mtoe and an export of 6.5 mtoe of primary energy are financed almost two-thirds of domestic consumption abroad. This makes oil a share of 71 % and natural gas by 20%, the rest is distributed among other petroleum products (4 %) and solid fuels ( 2%).
The majority of imported oil ( about three quarters) is processed by the refinery Mažeikių Nafta to petroleum products and re-exported; 0.13 mtoe of oil will be exported unrefined. Thus about 4.5 mtoe imported oil and natural gas in Lithuania being used up.
Consumer
The energy consumption in Lithuania is divided into roughly equal shares of private consumption and industrial premises, as well as to institutions of the public sector. The largest consumers of electricity in the industry were in 2000, the petroleum refinery Mažeikių Nafta ( annual consumption of 0.5 TWh), the chemical group (especially fertilizer production ) achema (0.23 TWh) and the picture tube manufacturer Ekranas (0.12 TWh, went bankrupt in 2005 ).
Energy reserves
Lithuania is poor in fossil fuels. Only in Žemaitėjė and off the coast of the Baltic Sea, there are secure oil and natural gas deposits in small amounts. In 2009, encouraged daily at a rate of 74,000 barrels in Lithuania 6333 barrels of oil. For comparison: in 2009 Germany consumed about 2.437 million barrels a day, 545,500 Poles and 173,000 barrels of Belarus. A production of natural gas does not take place, does contain almost any source of oil and natural gas, due to the low flow rate, however, the establishment of the necessary infrastructure would be (extremely ) uneconomical. This situation will not change in the foreseeable future, bringing Lithuania remains highly dependent on imports and the current price fluctuations.
Natural gas
Line network
The pipeline system is operated with the exception of a small area in the south of the country from the former state-owned gas utility Lietuvos dujos. It consists of 1800 km and 7500 km main pipes regional lines. The backbone of the network are two east-west highways - one of Belarus over Vilnius and Kaunas to Kaliningrad in Russia, the other by Šiauliai Panevėžys to Klaipeda - after that are linked by a north-south highway (coming over Panevėžys of Latvia Vilnius). About stubs are as good as all the major cities of Lithuania connected to the gas supply, the exception is the Memel (see after standing). The extreme south of the country is powered by the Belarusian network, which the company UAB Haupas care (0.6% of gas imports in 2007 ).
Lietuvos dujos must provide the pipeline network other providers. For the prices for the use of the pipeline network, the State Price Commission VKEKK sets maximum limits, which are renegotiated annually. For Lietuvos dujos must ensure the operability of the network and invest in modernization. The most important project of recent times was the construction of a gas pipeline from Šakiai to Klaipeda and thus the port of Memel region to the Lithuanian gas network.
Trade
Gas trading wrap in Lithuania essentially the two companies Lietuvos dujos ( the former state natural gas supplier ) and Dujotekana from. Lietuvos dujos supplied while 99% of Lithuanian households (as of 2007 ). The company also achema occurred ( 27%) and the CHP in Kaunas ( 10%) than gas importers on, but only for their own consumption. Supplier of the gas is 100 % of Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom, the gas is imported via pipeline from Belarus and Latvia. Total imports in 2007 amounted to 3.6 billion cubic meters and was significantly higher than the previous year. The reason was the sharp increase in gas consumption of fertilizers AB Achema (see usage). Lietuvos dujos transported in 2007 beyond 1.2 billion m³ by its own pipeline network from Belarus to Kaliningrad. That was only a slight increase compared to 2006, but more than twice as much as in 2003.
Consumption
Gas consumption in Lithuania can vary greatly depending on the needs of the industry. 1996 - 2002 he was between 2.2 billion m³ (1998; recession due to the ruble crisis in Russia) and from 2.6 to 2.7 billion cubic meters (1996, 2001, 2002 ). The good economic development in recent years has made the consumption rise significantly, he in 2006 was 3.1 billion cubic meters in 2007 and even at 3.7 billion cubic meters. The latter increase was caused mainly by the increased demand of fertilizer producers achema forth. Gas in Lithuania is primarily consumed by power plants ( CHP plants in Kaunas and Vilnius), in 2006 there were 50 % of total consumption; 37 % was removed by the industry and only 6% of households.
Liberalization
The gas market in Lithuania is practically freely accessible since the regained independence. Since 1992, consumers can choose the gas supplier, the former state gas utility Lietuvos dujos must ensure the transport and distribution, government price Commission shall determine the prices for it. Since 1 July 2007 the gas market de jure is subject to all recipients of free price formation, in practice the price for households is still very much directed by the state.
Gas Price
The gas price for households is determined by price caps, which subjects the State Price Commission every six months a revision. Lietuvos dujos can choose its consumer prices in this given context -free, but moves usually near the ceiling set. By 2006, the Russian gas monopolist Gazprom trading Lithuania provided the gas at prices below world market levels. Since that time, was adjustment to the price of the free market has caused prices to rise sharply, from 1 January 2005 to January 1, 2007 1.4 times, 2008, ( after a year of price stability ), an increase of 62-67 % and for 2009 to amount the increases (depending on consumption) to 23-30 % ( award 2008 for small consumers LTL 2.24 / m³).
Power generation
The Lithuanian electricity covers the domestic demand, the balance Lithuania in late 2009 until the end of the term of the Ignalina nuclear power plant, a power exporter. However, the share of nuclear power plant to the electricity production by the shutdown of the first block of 31 December 2004 had already declined markedly.
1 Ignalina nuclear power plant ( 1380 MW rated power per block, since 2005, only one block in operation)
2 thermal power plant Elektrėnai (rated 1800 MW ) thermal power plant Mažeikiai (nominal 194 MW ) (both public) as well as thermal power plant Kaunas ( Kauno termofikacinė elektrinė; rated power 178 MW) thermal power plant Vilnius ( Vilniaus termofikacinė elektrinė; rated power 384 MW) as well as smaller private thermal power plants (including the company achema )
3 hydropower plant Kaunas (nominal 100 MW) and pumped storage power plant Kruonis (nominal 800 MW, only for peak load), and a number of smaller private hydropower plants;
Mains and electricity trading
The Lithuanian electricity transmission system includes high- voltage lines of 330 kV and 110 kV transmission capacity. These are maintained by Lietuvos energija. For the distribution to end users in Lithuania AB LESTO is responsible; earlier Rytų skirstomieji tinklai and Vakarų skirstomieji tinklai ( Eastern and Western distribution network ); Company LE, VST and RST were from May 2008 100 % - owned subsidiaries of Leo LT.
There are five 330 kV lines to Belarus, four in Latvia and three in the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast. A 400 - kV line to Poland, which would also mean the connection to the ( Western ) European UCTE grid is discussed for ten years, but has not yet come out of the planning stage out, just as a submarine cable to Sweden.
Due to the high power rating of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania to the end of 2009 had an excess of electrical energy. This was sold as far as possible in the neighboring countries. The lack of connection to the UCTE network of sales, however, remains limited mainly to the neighboring countries of the former Soviet Union.
1 Kaliningrad Oblast
2 December 2006 made possible by the undersea cable between Estonia and Finland
On 31 March 2003 the Kaunas City Council sold the gas-fired cogeneration plant for Kaunas 116.5 million litas ( about 34 million euros ) to the Russian gas company Gazprom, the? Holds since % stake in the power plant.
District heating
Combined heat and power (CHP ) make waste heat from the combustion of fuels used for district heating. Electricity generation is here only minimally reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency increases overall. This system was widely used in the Soviet Union and is used in all thermal power plants in Lithuania to apply.
The district was passed in 1997 as one of the first steps towards the privatization of the energy market in the hands of the municipalities.
Swell
- Annual Reports of Lietuvos energija (English )
- Annual Reports of Lietuvos dujos 2000-2007
- Energy Lithuania 2007/2008, Publication of Germany Trade & Invest Agency German, published on 1 July 2008