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As it cut ties with Russia’s fossil fuel-dominated power grid, Lithuania took another step towards 100% renewable electricity by launching a large-scale battery storage tender.
The context: Lithuania has quietly gone about one of the fastest energy transitions on the planet. Wind and solar accounted for nearly two-thirds (65%) of the country’s power generation in 2024, and all renewables made up 80% of the coal-free mix, according to data collated by research group Ember.
However, Lithuania has long been connected to the Russian power network, meaning it’s relied largely on that country’s coal and gas plants for critical grid services like frequency control.
The latest: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have now unplugged from Russia and merged with the European Union’s far cleaner electrical grid. The years-long process involved, in Lithuania’s case, the construction of 420km of new power lines lines and upgrades to existing lines and substations.
At the same time it was making the switch, Lithuania said it would procure at least 800MWh of energy storage facilities to help it achieve its goal of reaching 100% renewable electricity by 2030. The government has allocated €102 million towards the tender.
“The volume of renewable energy resources in our country continues to grow rapidly; therefore it is necessary to ensure appropriate solutions for balancing the electricity system,” Agnė Markauskienė, head of green transformation at the Environmental Project Management Agency, said in a statement.
By ramping up investments in batteries and other storage solutions, the country will bolster its energy independence and be better placed to “maintain system stability during critical situations,” Markauskienė said. “We expect significant involvement and interest from companies in this support opportunity.”
A second revolution: Lithuania’s rapid shift to wind and solar power comes relatively soon after it switched from nuclear to fossil gas.
As a prerequisite to joining the EU, the country agreed to an early shutdown of its nuclear reactors over safety concerns. As a result, nuclear’s share of the mix fell from 74% in 2009 to zero the following year.
Lithuania initially replaced that lost capacity with gas-fired power, but has since pivoted towards wind, solar, and batteries.
It’s now among the global frontrunners in the race to 100% renewable electricity systems dominated by variable power sources.
Recent modelling by the Lithuanian Energy Agency and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that the country has enough renewable energy potential, flexible generation capacity, and interconnections with neighbouring EU states to get to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 while maintaining a stable grid. It would also be a net exporter of power by that time, according to the analysis.
To get there, Lithuania will need to quadruple its onshore wind capacity from 2022 levels, add 1.4GW of offshore wind, ramp up its solar capacity to 4.1GW, and install around 1.1GW of battery storage, the agencies found.
However, the country’s foray into offshore wind is off to a stuttering start. The government had to shelve its second offshore wind tender because the auction framework was badly designed, according to Ember.
Meanwhile, Estonia is also targeting 100% renewable power by 2030, though it has some catching up to do. Renewables comprised 57% of the country’s power output in 2024.
Read also: Chris Bruntlett | How Lithuania’s capital is transforming itself into the “Amsterdam of the North”
