As Lithuania and its neighbours increase focus on their gas supply options, the gas transmission capacity from Lithuania to the Latvian gas system will be increased by one-third to 90 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per day from 1 November. This will be done by accelerating the implementation of the ELLI strategic project, as announced by Lithuania’s gas transmission system operator Amber Grid.
“By significantly increasing the capacity of the interconnector between Lithuania and Latvia, we will be able to transport more gas from the Klaipėda LNG terminal or from Poland to Latvia even before the ELLI project is completed,” highlighted Vytautas Ruolia, Amber Grid’s Commercial Director. “The lack of capacity on this interconnection has been strongly felt since early spring. The increase already this autumn is important because it will create more flexibility for market participants to deliver gas imported into Lithuania to the Inčukalns underground gas storage facility in Latvia, as well as to meet the needs of Latvia, Estonia and Finland for the coming cold period. Increased cross-border capacity with Latvia means an even more significant role for Lithuania in gas transit to other EU countries.”
In Lithuania, the ELLI project includes reconstructing the Kiemėnai gas metering station and the Panevėžys gas compressor station. It is expected that all planned works in Lithuania will be completed by the end of this year. In Latvia, the project work to increase capacity will continue in 2023. Once fully completed, the gas interconnector between Latvia and Lithuania will increase roughly twice.
After the completion of the GIPL pipeline interconnection between Lithuania and Poland this year, the ELLI project is the second most important gas market integration project under implementation. It also strengthens the security and reliability of gas supplies in the region. Increasing gas transmission capacity between Lithuania and Latvia will provide the market with more flexible access to the Klaipėda LNG terminal, Latvia’s Inčukalns underground gas storage facility and the GIPL interconnector with Poland. The strong gas infrastructure network created will allow for the transmission of larger gas flows from the European continent to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland and vice versa.
