Green Genius, a renewable energy company operating in 8 European countries, has entered into a novel Energy-as-a-Service power purchase agreement (PPA) with Lithuanian brewer Svyturys-Utenos Alus (SUA), part of the Carlsberg Group. As part of the agreement, Green Genius will develop, construct, commission and operate two first-of-their-kind PV-plus-storage systems in Lithuania that will provide renewable energy to the Utenos alus brewery and cover 100 per cent of its annual demand with carbon-free electricity.
The novel Energy-as-a-Service agreement is the first of its kind in Lithuania and in the Baltics more broadly and accelerates progress towards the Carlsberg Group’s ZERO Carbon Footprint ambition. The project’s total value is 7.5 million euros, of which 2.6 million euros is funded by the European Union Emissions Trading System – Innovation Fund and Green Genius covers the rest.
The first system (so-called on-site system) will be implemented at the site of SUA Utenos alus brewery in Utena city, Lithuania, by May 2024, while the second system (so-called off-site system) will be implemented at a new utility-scale site near Butrimonys town, Lithuania, and start its operations by January 2025.
The recent PPA agreement builds on an existing partnership between Green Genius and SUA that was established back in 2018, when Green Genius installed a 1 megawatt (MW) solar PV plant on the Utenos alus brewery’s rooftops. This time, during the implementation of the InnoSolveGreen project, Green Genius will install a new additional 1.5 MW solar PV system on the remaining brewery’s rooftops and increase the on-site solar PV capacity to a maximum extent.
To accommodate this significant expansion without impeding the local electrical grid, a 2 megawatt-hours (MWh) battery energy storage system will be installed and efficiently deployed to meet the brewery’s electricity demands – at the right place, at the right time, and at the required scale.
Moreover, the on-site solar PV capacity will be complemented by a new 5 MW off-site utility-scale solar PV plant that will be developed near Butrimonys town, Lithuania. The Butrimonys’ off-site plant will not only feature the latest solar PV technology but also demonstrate a 4 MWh battery energy storage system integrated into a novel DC-and-AC connected configuration.
The off-site battery energy storage system and its unique configuration will demonstrate a pathway for renewables integration into limited capacity electrical grids, as well as increase the asset’s flexibility.
Green Genius and SUA believe in the high potential and pioneering nature of the endeavour. The shared hope is for other Lithuanian and EU businesses to observe and adopt the InnoSolveGreen solution, as they too work to decarbonise operations and build energy self-sufficiency.
“It will be the first autonomous green electricity solution for industrial users in the Baltic States,” said Ruslanas Sklepovicius, CEO of Green Genius. “Therefore, we see this project as an essential milestone toward sustainability and energy independence in the region”.
“We have clear commitments to the environment and our customers,” commented Rolandas Virsilas, CEO of SUA. “Therefore, this project is undoubtedly important to us. For a long time, we have been using only electricity from renewable sources. Now we are raising the bar higher – we will use only local and only self-produced electricity that contributes new green electricity to the grid. I believe that our example will encourage other Lithuanian businesses to take similar actions, because by investing in new green energy capacities, we are not only getting involved in the green transformation but also taking care of Lithuania’s energy security, which, as the events of recent years show, is extremely important”.
