LitPol Link

"Lithuania–Poland interconnection" redirects here. For the gas pipeline between Lithuania and Poland, see Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania.
LitPol Link
Location
CountryLithuania; Poland
Coordinates54°47′56″N 24°15′19″E / 54.79889°N 24.25528°E / 54.79889; 24.25528 (Kruonis substation)
54°26′34″N 23°58′32″E / 54.44278°N 23.97556°E / 54.44278; 23.97556 (Alytus substation)
54°26′19″N 23°58′02″E / 54.43861°N 23.96722°E / 54.43861; 23.96722 (Alytus HVDC back-to-back station)
53°46′25″N 22°19′20″E / 53.77361°N 22.32222°E / 53.77361; 22.32222 (Ełk substation)
53°01′38″N 23°02′43″E / 53.02722°N 23.04528°E / 53.02722; 23.04528 (Narew substation)
53°49′39″N 20°20′51″E / 53.82750°N 20.34750°E / 53.82750; 20.34750 (Mątki substation)
General directionsouth–north
FromKruonis
Passes throughAlytus
Ełk
ToNarew
Matki
Ownership information
OwnerLitPol Link
PartnersPSE-Operator
Litgrid
Construction information
Construction started5 May 2014
Construction cost€ 340 mill.[1]
Commissioned9 December 2015
Technical information
Typeoverhead transmission line
Type of currentHVDC (back-to-back)
Total length341 km (212 mi)
Power rating500 MW (current)
1,000 MW (planned)
AC voltage330 kV in Lithuania
400 kV in Poland
DC voltage±70 kV
No. of circuits2

LitPol Link is an electricity link between Poland and Lithuania which connects the Baltic transmission system to the synchronous grid of Continental Europe. It has a capacity of 500 MW and since 2021 it can operate in a synchronous regime.[2]

History

In 2000, European Commission and the EBRD agreed to finance a feasibility study on the Poland–Lithuania transmission interconnection. The study was completed in September 2002.[3] The connection is expected to increase Poland's electricity interconnection level from 2% to 4%.[4] Parts of LitPol are on the EU "Projects of Common Interest" list in November 2015.[5]

On 29 September 2006 Polish President Lech Kaczyński and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus signed a joint declaration on the joint power grid project during their meeting in Warsaw.[6] The memorandum of understanding to establish a joint interconnection operator was signed between Lietuvos Energija and Polish PSE-Operator in Vilnius on 8 December 2006. Project Company Shareholding Agreement signed on 12 February 2008 in Warsaw.[7] The joint project company LitPol Link was founded on 19 May 2008.[8]

Aiming to build a 400 kV overhead line between Ełk and Łomża PSE-Operator signed a contract with the Polish construction company PBE ELBUD Group on 12 September 2011.[9] During start of 2013 Lithuanian transmission system operator Litgrid awarded ABB Group a $110 million contract to supply and install the first HVDC converter station in proximity of Alytus, Lithuania.[10]

Construction of the link commenced in the Alytus district on 5 May 2014.[11] LitPol electricity link started operations on 9 December 2015 the same day transmitting up to 200 MW power from Poland to Lithuania.[12]

The second part of project (another 500 MW capacity link) is planned to have a different route through Marijampolė. The full plan of second part was scheduled to be reviewed at the end of 2016.[13]

Technical features

The interconnection comprises a 53-kilometre (33 mi) double-circuit 330 kV line from Kruonis to Alytus, a 1000 MW back-to-back converter in Alytus and 48-kilometre (30 mi) double-circuit 400 kV line from Alytus to the Lithuania–Poland border on the Lithuanian side, and a 106-kilometre (66 mi) double-circuit 400 kV line from the border to Ełk on Polish side.[14]

According to the pre-feasibility study, the cost of the interconnection was estimated to be €237 million. With a view to enhancing existing energy infrastructure, including Poland–Germany and Poland–Czech Republic upgrades, the Polish TSO invested an additional €650 million and the Lithuanian TSO €262 million.[8] The Lithuania–Poland interconnection has been designated an EU Trans-European Networks project. The interconnection initial capacity is 500 MW, with a transmission capacity upgrade of up to 1000 MW possible after completion of a second HVDC back-to-back station.[15][16]

The tower 61 near Ełk, tower 160, tower 166 (both near Suwalki), and tower 293 near Sankury, have a height of 107 metres.[citation needed]

HVDC Back-to-back station

The Alytus HVDC back-to-back station is located 600 metres (2,000 ft) southwest of the existing 330 kV-substation which has been extended as well. It consists of two converters each rated for 500 MW transmission power. The facility is 200 metres (660 ft) long and 170 metres (560 ft) wide.[17]

Project company

LitPol Link was founded by PSE-Operator and Litgrid with equal stakes. The company is based in Warsaw.[15] Acting Managing Director of LitPol Link Mr. Artūras Vilimas.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lithuania's Litgrid secures EUR 50 million from NIB to fund LitPol Link
  2. ^ "Lietuva jau turi sinchronizacijai paruoštą jungtį su Lenkija: "Litgrid" įgyvendino "LitPol Link" išplėtimo projektą". Litgrid (in Lithuanian). 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. ^ Mozer, Zygmunt (23 October 2007). "Current status of the LitPol project". PSE SA. Archived from the original (PPT) on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target Archived 2015-12-25 at the Wayback Machine" page 5+8. European Commission, 25 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Union list of projects of common interest" page 10. European Commission, 18 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Poland, Lithuania agree to hook up power grids". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 29 September 2006. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  7. ^ "Poland, Lithuania clinch power link deal". Power Engineering International. PennWell Corporation. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  8. ^ a b "Polish, Lithuanians in energy venture". The Associated Press. 19 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  9. ^ "Poland picks contractor to build power link with Lithuania". Polish News Bulletin. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  10. ^ "ABB to install 500 MW high-voltage converter station in Lithuania". The Lithuania Tribune. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Pradedama "LitPol Link" statyba" [Construction of LitPol Link starts]. Verslo žinios (in Lithuanian). 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  12. ^ "Russia's Power Grip Over Baltics Ending With Billion-Euro Cables". Bloomberg. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  13. ^ Šiaurės rytų Lenkija įvertino „LitPol Link“ naudą
  14. ^ Paškevičius, Vladas (26 January 2006). "Lithuanian power system and integration into European Union electricity market". Lietuvos Energija. Archived from the original (PPT) on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  15. ^ a b "Lithuania, Poland sign power deal, spurring nuclear plan". Forbes. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  16. ^ "Phase I: present status of the electricity sector in the EU Member States surrounding the Baltic Sea, including Norway, Belarus, Kaliningrad region and Ukraine; main gaps and bottlenecks, qualitative assessment of new interconnection projects" (PDF). Centro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale Italiano Giacinto Motta SpA. European Commission. June 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  17. ^ "Back-to-back station". Litpol Link. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  18. ^ ""Power bridge" deal finalised". The Baltic Times. 24 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.