Ignitis Renewables receives first components for Lithuania’s most powerful battery farm

The first batch of battery energy storage system (BESS) components reached the construction site of Ignitis Renewables’ Kelmė battery farm. It’s an important step in the implementation of one of the largest and most modern energy storage projects in Lithuania. It will have 147 megawatts (MW) of power capacity and 295 megawatt-hours (MWh) of storage capacity. 

“Electricity generation from renewables is growing in Lithuania, which makes battery energy storage systems an important safeguard of reliability and flexibility. They facilitate efficient utilisation of green energy, balancing of the system and reliable supply of electricity, even under heavy fluctuations in the system. The component delivery to the Kelmė site is yet another step towards a modern, secure and sustainable energy ecosystem,” says Remigijus Savulionis, Head of Project Delivery at Ignitis Renewables. 

Kelmė BESS is being developed near the 314 MW Kelmė wind farm, located in central Lithuania, and will play a significant role in the country’s energy independence goals and network flexibility. The project will be integrated in the largest wind farm in the Baltics, located nearby, which will allow for a more efficient utilisation of the generated green energy and facilitate stable electricity supply. The battery farm is estimated to reach commercial operations in 2027. 

Battery energy storage systems are becoming an important component of the energy infrastructure and allow for a more efficient utilisation of the generated energy. BESS can store the electricity received from the network and directly from power plants, including wind and solar farms. They work on a similar principle to batteries used at home, just at a much larger scale. The stored energy is returned to the network in case of low electricity generation. This helps balance the generation and consumption of electricity, thus ensuring the reliability of the transmission system. 

Ignitis Group is developing three battery farms in total. Another one will be built in the vicinity of Mažeikiai, near Ignitis Renewables’ 63 MW Mažeikiai wind farm, operating since 2023, while the other – in the vicinity of Kruonis, near Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant, managed by Ignitis Gamyba. The total power capacity of the projects is 291 MW and storage capacity is 584 MWh. They are among the first utility-scale energy storage projects in Lithuania.