Ignitis Renewables has completed its first hybrid solar and wind project

An international green energy company, Ignitis Renewables, has completed the construction of a solar power plant in Tauragė district, near an operating wind farm, thus making it the company's first hybrid wind and solar project, which enables a more effective utilisation of the land and infrastructure managed by the company.

“Our wind farm has been successfully operating in Tauragė district for over 10 years, and now we have installed a solar power plant nearby. This makes it a hybrid project, where several types of renewable power plants are connected to a single connection in the transmission network,” said Giedrius Meškelė, Head of Renewable Energy, Lithuania at Ignitis Renewables.

According to him, hybrid wind and solar farms enable a more effective utilisation of the available electricity network capacities and other internal infrastructure, which makes them more cost-efficient in terms of construction and maintenance costs.

The 22-megawatt (MW) solar power plant is built in a 32-ha territory. It will power around 13,000 households alone. Together with the 25 MW wind farm, they will power around 40,000 households in Lithuania. The total investments in the solar park will reach approximately EUR 14 million.

The implementation of environmental measures will start soon

Focus on environmental issues has been at the forefront throughout the project’s development. Its construction was followed by unique research to find out the impact the solar power plant's installation has on nature and biodiversity. Specialists are evaluating the changes in flora and fauna with environmental initiatives planned after the constructions are completed.

According to Lina Žibienė, Head of Environment and Permitting at Ignitis Renewables, besides the mandatory initiatives and impact mitigation measures, the company is carrying out additional measures, thus fostering good practices.

“We are involving additional experts in the development of the project, who are helping us implement certain measures. For example, one of the mandatory measures is wildlife gates for larger animals, so they could leave the territory after entering it. The fence surrounding the territory is raised from the ground so smaller animals that entered the territory could also migrate through it,” commented the environmental expert.

According to L. Žlibienė, the company’s specialists will monitor the restoration of grass after the construction processes and will strictly limit the spread of invasive species. “We have specially selected grass seeds, which we will plant at a predetermined time in selected locations. We will leave some of the territory to restore itself naturally, so the trees growing in nearby territories could bring the seeds over, thus preserving natural environment,” commented the representative.

Ignitis Renewables endeavours to make all its projects sustainable and friendly to the environment. By developing renewable projects, the company is contributing to the energy independence, reducing the climate change and improving the local environment.