The vision of the Lithuanian energy sector: complete independence from fossil fuels by 2050

On 21st June, the Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas presented the project of the renewed National Energy Independence Strategy (NEIS). The project sets the energy goals of Lithuania and the directions of their implementation until 2030, and sets the energy development guidelines until 2050.

The main strategic directions of the Lithuanian energy policy development are energy security, competitiveness, green energy development and innovations.

'The long term-vision of the Lithuanian energy sector is to achieve complete independence from fossil fuels in both electricity generation and heating. This ambitious goal not only reflects European and global tendencies, but also coincides with the end of service time of our main energy infrastructure', said the Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas.

To improve energy security and reliability, the integration of Lithuanian energy systems and markets into the energy markets and systems of the European Union (EU) will continue. A goal has been set to complete the synchronisation project – to desynchronize from the Russian electricity system and to synchronize with the networks of continental Europe – by 2025.

Reduced dependence on electricity import and more energy independence will strengthen the local production of electricity. This will be done by promoting investment in a reliable and competitive local generation. It is expected that by 2020 Lithuania will produce 35 % of its electricity demand.

The breakthrough – more electricity produced in Lithuania than imported – should take place in 2030, when electricity import will decrease twice and Lithuania will produce 70 % of the necessary electricity. By 2050, all consumed electricity should be generated in Lithuania.

To reduce environmental pollution, combat climate change, and increase competitiveness, renewable energy will be further developed. The goal is to reach a 30 % share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the final energy consumption by 2020. In the next three years, the installed power of wind energy will increase by 50 %, and that of solar twice. It is planned that by 2030 RES installed power will be 2.5 times what it is now, and almost half (45 %) of the consumed energy should be manufactured from renewable sources; by 2050 energy from renewable and other non-polluting sources will comprise the majority of energy used in the electricity, heating, and transport sectors. By 2050, all electricity – and all heating in the district heating sector – should be produced from RES, while in the transportation sector RES energy will amount to 50 %.

'We are already leaders in renewable energy – we have reached the goals we had set for 2020. So now we are setting ourselves new goals that will promote the development of renewable energy. Our aim is a consistent and balanced growth of green energy, while also ensuring that consumers do not have to carry an additional financial burden', said the Minister of Energy.

We aim to use our well-developed and continuously improved national energy infrastructure to increase the competitiveness of our country. The completion of projects – a gas link between Lithuania and Poland, a regional Baltic natural gas market, the purchase of the LNG terminal – will allow the modernisation of infrastructure and the optimisation of its costs.

We are using all means to facilitate a situation where the price of energy in Lithuania would not exceed that of our neighbouring countries, and that the costs of infrastructure in the final price of energy would not exceed the EU average, while the tariff structure would promote industrial investment.

NEIS is being renewed with regard to earlier results of the implementation of this strategy and the goals that remain to be achieved, to new tendencies in the energy markets, as well as to the EU Energy Union. Specific NEIS implementation means will be described in detail in action plans for 2020, 2030, and 2050.

Publicity is one of the main principles of NEIS development, therefore, public consultations will take place after the NEIS project is submitted, and the parties concerned will be invited to submit their suggestions.