OREANDA-NEWS. January 24, 2012. According to Lietuvos energija, AB CEO Dalius Misiunas, the company, which has signed a contract with transmission system operator Litgrid, is making intense preparations for the testing and subsequent utilization of the combined cycle gas turbine unit. “Preparation is going smoothly and according to schedule – the six-month testing cycle will begin in February, once the unit is connected to the power grid, and we plan to start operations in autumn of this year,” said Mr. Misiunas.

During connection of the combined cycle unit to the power grid, a cable canal was installed and lined with cables that connect the new unit’s automation and control equipment to the transmission system operator’s distributors; the installation and fine-tuning of the unit’s security, automation and registration equipment have also already begun. As asserted by Mr. Misiunas, connection of the unit to the power grid will ensure that the electric generated during testing and start-up will reach consumers through TSO Litgrid’s network  - this process will be implemented via a 330 kW distributor located near Lithuania. Over the six months that testing will be carried out, approximately 400 million kWh of electrical energy will be produced.

Installation of the new unit, which started three years ago, is almost done – over 90% of the project has already been completed. In 2011, the unit’s main and auxiliary buildings were erected, its systems were connected to the old electric power station systems, and the main devices - the boiler, electric generator and transformer - were installed. A compressor station was also built, and the unit’s gas supply system was connected to the main gas pipeline. Installation of gas and steam turbines is planned to be completed in the near future.

The purpose of the new combined cycle unit is to increase the Lithuanian Power Plant’s production capacity, reliability and efficiency, and to reduce the cost of electricity generation. This unit will replace old units 3 and 4 of the Lithuanian Power Plant. The new unit will require approximately 30% less gas to produce a kilowatt-hour, and it is also environmentally superior, as it will cause less air pollution.

An agreement concerning the construction of the combined cycle gas turbine unit was signed with Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion, S.A.U. in the end of April, 2009. General Electric was chosen as the main equipment supplier.