Ignitis Unveils Ambitious 291-MW Battery Buildout Across Lithuanian Renewable Sites

• Lithuania’s Ignitis Group will invest €130 million to install 291 MW/582 MWh of battery storage at wind and hydro sites, targeting grid flexibility by 2027.

Ignitis Group has announced plans for one of the most substantial battery energy-storage roll-outs yet seen in the Baltic region, confirming on Tuesday it will deploy 291 MW of capacity—equivalent to 582 MWh—across three strategic locations in Lithuania. The investment, estimated at roughly €130 million, underscores the state-backed utility’s intent to accelerate grid flexibility while its portfolio of wind and solar assets continues to scale.

Two of the lithium-ion systems will be co-located with operational wind farms: the 63-turbine Kelme project in the country’s northwest and the Mazeikiai facility nearer the Latvian border. A third, larger array is slated for the Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Soviet-era site that already serves as the backbone of Lithuania’s balancing and frequency-control services. By siting batteries beside existing generation, Ignitis expects to curb connection costs and speed permitting, while the proximity to renewable output will allow rapid absorption of surplus power during periods of strong winds.

Construction is scheduled to begin before year-end, and commissioning is targeted for 2027. German engineering firm Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH, best known in the sector for its mtu EnergyPack platform, has been contracted to supply the battery modules, power-conversion equipment, and full system integration. The technology package includes fire-suppression, cybersecurity, and advanced dispatch software designed to participate in Lithuania’s fast-frequency-response and capacity-reserve markets.

Energy minister Dainius Kreivys hailed the project as “a pivotal step toward strengthening national energy security,” noting that Lithuania aims to synchronize its grid with continental Europe by 2026 and phase out Russian electricity imports entirely. Analysts at Copenhagen-based Aurora Energy Research calculate that 600 MWh of storage could shave volatility premiums on Lithuanian power prices by up to 8 percent once online, delivering tangible savings to industrial and residential consumers alike.\

For Ignitis, the battery parks mark the latest phase of a €2 billion capital-expenditure program running through 2030, which also features offshore wind and green hydrogen pilots. Chief executive Darius Maikštėnas said the storage assets would “unlock the full value” of the company’s renewable fleet while supporting Lithuania’s target of generating 100 percent of its electricity from clean sources before the decade’s close.