Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

2014: A Momentous Year for Klaipėda Region and the Energy Sector of Lithuania

2015; Kaunas University of Technology; Volume: 70; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5755/j01.erem.70.4.9716

2029-2139

Vytautas Smailys,

Regional Development and Policy

The year 2014 can be reasonably called the year of Klaipėda with two major Lithuanian energy projectsthe liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and electricity interconnection with Swedenbeing carried out over here.The first project is practically finished and put into operation, and the second project is midway through completion and will soon reach the finishing line.These two projects are important to Lithuania from several aspects.The first aspect is geopolitical as these projects strengthen the nation's political sovereignty.The second aspect is about ensuring almost complete energy independence from our capricious eastern neighbour and the third is about gaining free access to the world gas and European electricity markets, which will allow the reduction of energy prices and will have large economic benefit for our country.Not less important is the fourth environmental aspect.When both projects are finished, it will be possible to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop the use of highly polluting energy production technology.The construction of the LNG terminal is practically completed.In the port of Klaipėda, in the water area near the Island of Kiaulės Nugara, a special pier, which is connected to the region's gas pipeline network, was built.A floating gas storage and regasification vessel Independence has moored at the terminal and supplied Klaipėda and the region the first tens of millions cubic metres of natural gas.Having the capacity of 170,000 m 3 , the vessel can receive 70,000 tonnes of LNG, which after regasification can make up almost 100 million m 3 gas in a usual form with the density of 0.72 kg/m 3 .The projected capacity of the terminal, which will be achieved after the gas pipeline network development has been finished, will make up to 3-4 bn.m 3 gas per year and will be able to almost fully satisfy our country's needs and, if necessary, supply gas to Latvia and Estonia.The LNG project is closely related to the development of the gas pipeline network in western Lithuania.In 2013, the construction of 138 km in length and 400 mm in diameter gas pipeline Klaipėda-Jurbarkas with branches to Tauragė and a connection to Klaipėda LNG terminal was finished.Currently, another important gas pipeline network development project has already been designed and has started to be developed: 110 km in length and 800 mm in diameter the main gas pipeline Klaipėda-Kuršėnai, which is being laid alongside a low capacity older branch that was built 45 years ago.The environmental importance of the LNG terminal in Klaipėda will significantly increase as of 1 January 2015 because of a new restriction coming into force in the Baltic Sea Region concerning permissible sulphur content in marine fuel.When the content of sulphur allowed is reduced from 1% to 0.1% ship owners will have three choices: to use low sulphur fuel, install exhaust deSO x systems (scrubbers) or switch engines to use liquefied natural gas.The first choice practically does not require any investment, but because of 30-40% more expensive low sulphur fuel, there will be a significant increase in ship's operational cost.Scrubber systems do pay off in the long term, although these systems do require significant investments.The third choiceto use liquefied gasalso requires significant investments, but because of considerably lower cost of LNG, it pays off in relatively short periods of time.A ship capable of operating with LNG fuel additionally acquires another perspective and important advantage.On 1 January 2016, Tier III NO x emission restriction for newly built ships will be introduced in the Baltic Sea Region.To meet it, for the first two cases the installation of SCR type reactor for gas cleaning from