LitPol Link

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. Parts of LitPol are on the EU "Projects of Common Interest" list in November 2015.

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. The memorandum of understanding to establish a joint interconnection operator was signed between Lietuvos Energija and Polish PSE in Vilnius on 8 December 2006. Project Company Shareholding Agreement signed on 12 February 2008 in Warsaw. The joint project company LitPol Link was founded on 19 May 2008.

Aiming to build a 400 kV overhead line between Ełk and Łomża, PSE signed a contract with the Polish construction company PBE ELBUD Group on 12 September 2011. In early 2013, the 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.

Construction of the link commenced in the Alytus district on 5 May 2014.{{cite news | trans-title = Construction of LitPol Link starts | access-date = 2015-12-10 | archive-date = 2014-09-09 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140909210026/http://vz.lt/article/2014/5/5/pradedama-litpol-link-statyba#fprubric | url-status = dead

Technical features

The interconnection comprises a 53 km double-circuit 330 kV line from Kruonis to Alytus, a 1000 MW back-to-back converter in Alytus and 48 km double-circuit 400 kV line from Alytus to the Lithuania–Poland border on the Lithuanian side, and a 106 km double-circuit 400 kV line from the border to Ełk on Polish side.

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. 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.

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

HVDC back-to-back station

Between 2015 and 2025, the line was connected to the HVDC back-to-back converter station, located in the Alytus, 600 m southwest of the existing 330 kV-substation. It had two converters each rated for 500 MW transmission power. The facility is 200 m long and 170 m wide. Following the synchronization with CESA, the line is connected to the transformers and operates in synchronous mode.

Project company

LitPol Link was founded by PSE and Litgrid with equal stakes. The company is based in Warsaw. Acting Managing Director of LitPol Link Artūras Vilimas.

References

References

1. [http://en.delfi.lt/lithuania/economy/lithuanias-litgrid-secures-eur-50-million-from-nib-to-fund-litpol-link.d?id=65502058 Lithuania's Litgrid secures EUR 50 million from NIB to fund LitPol Link]
2. (15 November 2021). "Lietuva jau turi sinchronizacijai paruoštą jungtį su Lenkija: "Litgrid" įgyvendino "LitPol Link" išplėtimo projektą".
3. The connection is expected to increase Poland's electricity interconnection level from 2% to 4%."[http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/energy-union/docs/interconnectors_en.pdf Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target] {{webarchive. link. (2015-12-25 " page 5+8. ''[[European Commission]]'', 25 February 2015.)
4. "[https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/5_2%20PCI%20annex.pdf Union list of projects of common interest]" page 10. ''[[European Commission]]'', 18 November 2015.
5. (9 December 2015). "Russia's Power Grip Over Baltics Ending With Billion-Euro Cables".
6. (24 May 2008). ""Power bridge" deal finalised". The Baltic Times.
7. (19 May 2008). "Polish, Lithuanians in energy venture".
8. Mozer, Zygmunt. (23 October 2007). "Current status of the LitPol project". PSE SA.
9. (12 February 2008). "Lithuania, Poland sign power deal, spurring nuclear plan". Forbes.
10. (29 September 2006). "Poland, Lithuania agree to hook up power grids".
11. Paškevičius, Vladas. (26 January 2006). "Lithuanian power system and integration into European Union electricity market". [[Lietuvos Energija]].
12. (13 February 2008). "Poland, Lithuania clinch power link deal". [[PennWell Corporation]].
13. (June 2009). "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". [[European Commission]].
14. (14 September 2011). "Poland picks contractor to build power link with Lithuania". [[Polish News Bulletin]].
15. "Back-to-back station". Litpol Link.
16. (18 February 2013). "ABB to install 500 MW high-voltage converter station in Lithuania". [[The Lithuania Tribune]].