OREANDA-NEWS. January 24, 2012. Lietuvos energija AB signed an agreement with the Finnish consulting firm “AF Consult Ltd” concerning the technological audit of the Lithuanian Power Plant. The purpose of audit is to find possibilities for the introduction of new technologies at the plant, which would allow the use of alternative fuel resources for the production of electricity and heat.

“The ever-growing cost of gas directly impacts a power plant’s expenditures and, consequently, the price of the electricity that it produces. Therefore, we are looking for alternative forms of fuel for the Lithuanian Power Plant,” said Lietuvos energija AB CEO Dalius Misiunas. According to Mr. Misiunas, the use of alternative forms of fuel would decrease the power plant’s dependency on a single supplier, and increase the efficiency and profitability of Lietuvos energija’s business; the numbers of factors which determine an increase of end-price would also be reduced.

Experts from the Finnish consulting firm “AF Consult Ltd”, which won the open tender, will carry out a complex analysis of the existing production capacities: the current technical status of the power plant will be evaluated, as will the processes of technological and operative control, maintenance and repair. Prospects for the plant’s technical-economic activities will also be investigated, and its operational, maintenance and repair expenditures will be compared with indicators from power plants in other countries. The experts will also present recommendations for creating an optimal inspection and maintenance plan for the power plant’s equipment, and for improving the organizational structure of operational plant management and maintenance. Concurrently, the Fins will conduct a risk analysis for operations through 2020, taking the increasingly strict European Union and Lithuanian legislative requirements into account.

The experts’ final conclusions, which should be prepared by the end of this year, will be used in making decisions regarding further operation of the Lithuanian Power Plant.

The AF Group is one of the largest international energy and environmental consulting companies in the world. The Finnish subdivision of the AF Group has implemented, or is in the process of implementing, projects at the majority of Finland’s power plants. AF Consult specializes in the area of technologies for the use of nuclear power, fossil fuel, biomass and other sources of renewable energy in energetics.