Amber Grid, the Lithuanian gas transmission system operator, has launched a public tender for the purchase and installation of an electric compressor for gas transmission. There are currently two gas compressor stations in Lithuania — in Jauniūnai in Širvintos District and near Panevėžys. The electric compressor will be installed in the territory of the Jauniūnai gas compressor station in Širvintos District and will be optimally used in conjunction with the currently installed gas compressors.
“We invite both local and foreign contractors to submit tenders for Lithuania’s first electric gas compressor in the country’s gas transmission system. The contractor should manufacture, install and commission such a state-of-the-art unit in Jauniūnai. By purchasing an electric compressor, we aim to optimise the technological costs of gas transmission and reduce environmental pollution,” said Nemunas Biknius, CEO at Amber Grid.
The new unit will have a maximum capacity of 5 megawatts (MW). It will use only green energy for its operation, thus reducing air pollution. In addition, compressor maintenance costs will be reduced. The project includes cooperation with the energy distribution operator ESO for the preparation of the power supply network and the capacity increase of the Jauniūnai gas compressor station.
Work on the installation of the new electric compressor is scheduled to start in 2025. The entire project is expected to be completed in early 2028. The integration of the first electric compressor into the system is expected to be an innovative solution for the Lithuanian gas transmission network connecting the Polish, Baltic, and Finnish gas markets.
The installation of the electric compressor is expected to allow the existing gas units to operate at high gas volumes and, once completed, to provide significant benefits in the low flow range. The new unit will reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions. The compressor will not use fossil fuels and therefore will not pollute the environment, and it will reduce noise levels in the area of the Jauniūnai gas compressor station.
The main purpose of gas compressor stations is to increase the pressure of the gas and to create more capacity so that large volumes of gas can be transported as far as possible. Gas compressor stations are normally installed every few hundred kilometres.
