Elektrenai Power Plant
Encyclopedia
The Elektrėnai Power Plant or Lithuania Power Plant is an 1,800-MW electrical generating station near Elektrėnai
, Lithuania
, about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) west of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius
. It is operated by Lietuvos Elektrinė, a subsidiary of Lietuvos Energija
.
The plant was built in stages between 1960 and 1972. The Strėva River
was dammed to supply it with cooling water, creating the Elektrėnai Reservoir
. As of 2008 the plant comprised eight units fired with natural gas
, heavy fuel oil
, and a bitumen-based fuel known as Orimulsion
, imported from Venezuela
. It was designed as a base load plant, and generated about 10 TWh
per year until 1992. Its operations were then reduced to about 5% of its capacity, since it acted only as a reserve in the Lithuanian power system.
After the shutdown of the Ignalina nuclear power plant
in 2009, the plant became the primary source of Lithuania's electrical power. Since the plant does not meet European Union
environmental guidelines, a number of improvement projects have been proposed. A flue gas desulfurization
project was completed in September 2008. In December 2007, Economy Ministry Undersecretary Arturas Dainius announced that a new 400-MW combined cycle
unit would be built at the site as well. The cost of the new unit was estimated at 252 million euros; 57% of the funding will be supplied by the European Union
, 33% by the plant, and the remaining 10% by the National Ignalina Decommissioning Fund.
The plant also supplies district heating
to the town of Elektrėnai, established in 1962 to support its workers.
An interesting feature is, that two of the three chimneys of Elektrenai serve also as electricity pylon.
Elektrenai
Elektrėnai is a city of about 14,000 inhabitants in Lithuania; since 2000 it is the capital of the Elektrėnai municipality. It is situated between the two largest cities in Lithuania – Vilnius and Kaunas.-Name:Elektrėnai is the Lithuanian name of the city...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) west of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. It is operated by Lietuvos Elektrinė, a subsidiary of Lietuvos Energija
Lietuvos Energija
Lietuvos Energija is the main power company in Lithuania. It owns the largest power plant in Lithuania Elektrėnai Power Plant and directly owns two largest hydroelectric plants in the country . It has also stake in the Klaipėda Geothermal Demonstration Plant...
.
The plant was built in stages between 1960 and 1972. The Strėva River
Streva River
Strėva River is a river in Trakai and Kaunas district municipalities, Lithuania. In 1348 Battle of Strėva between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights was fought on the frozen river. In 1962 the river was damed to create Elektrėnai Reservoir, the third-largest artificial lake in...
was dammed to supply it with cooling water, creating the Elektrėnai Reservoir
Elektrenai Reservoir
Elektrėnai Reservoir , located south of the city of Elektrėnai, Lithuania, is the third-biggest artificial lake in Lithuania. It was created in 1961 by damming the Strėva River. It supplies cooling water to the 1,800 MW Elektrėnai Power Plant. A number of villages were drowned by the reservoir;...
. As of 2008 the plant comprised eight units fired with natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, heavy fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
, and a bitumen-based fuel known as Orimulsion
Orimulsion
Orimulsion is a registered trademark name for a bitumen-based fuel that was developed for industrial use by Intevep, the Research and Development Affiliate of Petroleos de Venezuela SA , following earlier collaboration on oil emulsions with British Petroleum.-Source of the bitumen:Like coal and...
, imported from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It was designed as a base load plant, and generated about 10 TWh
TWH
TWH or twh could refer to:*Tennessee Walking Horse, a breed of horse* Toronto Western Hospital, a hospital in Toronto, Canada* TWH Bus & Coach, a bus company in Romford, England* Terrawatt-hour, measure of electrical energy, 1012 watt-hours...
per year until 1992. Its operations were then reduced to about 5% of its capacity, since it acted only as a reserve in the Lithuanian power system.
After the shutdown of the Ignalina nuclear power plant
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is a closed two-unit RBMK-1500 nuclear power station in Visaginas, Lithuania. It was named after the nearby city of Ignalina...
in 2009, the plant became the primary source of Lithuania's electrical power. Since the plant does not meet European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
environmental guidelines, a number of improvement projects have been proposed. A flue gas desulfurization
Flue gas desulfurization
Sulfur dioxide is one of the elements forming acid rain. Tall flue-gas stacks disperse emissions by diluting the pollutants in ambient air and transporting them to other regions....
project was completed in September 2008. In December 2007, Economy Ministry Undersecretary Arturas Dainius announced that a new 400-MW combined cycle
Combined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
unit would be built at the site as well. The cost of the new unit was estimated at 252 million euros; 57% of the funding will be supplied by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, 33% by the plant, and the remaining 10% by the National Ignalina Decommissioning Fund.
The plant also supplies district heating
District heating
District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
to the town of Elektrėnai, established in 1962 to support its workers.
An interesting feature is, that two of the three chimneys of Elektrenai serve also as electricity pylon.