OREANDA-NEWS. On June 22, 2009 Nord Pool Consulting - the Norwegian company, providing consultancy on creation of electricity market in Lithuania, hosted by Lietuvos Energija AB, presented a study, recommendations and operational plan of possible Lithuanian market simulation, reported the press-centre of Lietuvos Energija

The presentation was attended by the working group for creation of electricity market and procurement of electricity after 2010, established by the Ministry of Energy, which consists of transmission system operator, public suppliers, National Control Commission for Prices and Energy and representatives of the Ministry of Energy.

“A plan has been presented, which Lithuania should carry out by December 31 of this year, so that electricity market starts operating under the principles of the most advanced Nordic electricity exchange Nord Pool”, - said Mr. Darius Masionis, Chief Executive Officer of Lietuvos Energija AB. According to him, the proposals of Nord Pool Consulting are closely connected to the action plan of the memorandum signed on June 17 in Brussels, integrating electricity markets of the Baltic States. According to him, following the completion of the first stage – the performance of the feasibility and market simulation works, there will be another stage – the reorganization of the Lithuanian electricity market and trade in accordance with principles of Nordic electricity market. 

The representatives of Nord Pool Consulting clearly defined the key goals, primarily – to revise by-laws of electricity regulation, create transparent, non-discriminating market organization principles, increase the part of the non-regulated market, improve the qualifications of the market players.

During the creation of the common electricity market some of the key projects of the infrastructure development, connected to Lithuania, are the power interconnections Lithuania-Sweden and Lithuania-Poland. According to Mr. D. Masionis, most of the works were already started in 2008 and are being successfully implemented this year.

Within the scope of the Lithuanian-Swedish interconnection project, design works are under way, seabed research has already been signed and will be carried out this year, which is necessary for works of the cable construction across the Baltic Sea. The interconnection with Sweden above all requires a reinforcement of north-western Lithuanian electricity infrastructure by constructing new substations and building power lines. Therefore, currently a preparation work is under way for reconstruction and expansion of Klaipeda transformer substation (TS) and construction of 330 kV line Klaipeda-Telsiai, the line’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) feasibility study has been performed and submitted for the evaluation of Ministry of Environment. Lietuvos Energija AB has also applied to the Government for the revision of its resolutions, necessary while addressing issues of the detailed plan of Klaipeda TS.

Within the scope of Lithuanian-Polish interconnection project trilateral and separate bilateral agreements have been approved between Lithuanian and Polish electricity transmission system operators and LitPol Link – the joint venture, performing preparatory work for construction of this interconnection. Tenders for performance of the consultancy services for feasibility study, technical documentation (technical part of terms of reference), and territorial planning for reconstruction and extension of the Alytus substation with a back-to-back converter station, as well as consultancy services for preparation of territorial planning and environmental impact assessment procedures and documents for the 400 kV overhead power transmission line between Alytus substation and border of the Republic of Poland have been launched.

According to Mr. D. Masionis, from January 1, 2010, 35 per cent of electricity market should by actually open, granting consumers a freedom to make an unlimited choice of supplier, while Baltic transmission system operators must unbundle their activities and prepare for creation of the common electricity market. By 2013 a common Baltic electricity market must be established, whereas from 2013 to 2015 it must be integrated with the Scandinavian electricity market.