Let us save clean environment for future generations
About us
Power Plant is Building Muscles
2007-11-03
Constructions Not Far Off
Plans concerning the construction of one more block of the power plant in Kaunas last summer were announced by Antanas Pranculis, the Director General of Kaunas Heat and Power Plant. Russian gas supplier GAZPROM approved of his proposal in terms of the capacity expansion at the power plant.
The old power plant shall operate unless the new nuclear power plant is built. “In our opinion, this shall happen in 2018, and, given that, before it happens it will pay off to run the Kaunas Heat and Power Plant at the capacity of around 500 megawatts. Later on the old power plant will come to its shutdown”, explained Mr Pranculis.
Presently, the company EKOKONSULTACIJOS is conducting the environmental impact assessment in harmonization with the municipality, environmentalists, officers of the fire and rescue department, specialist from public health centre and other specialists. Viktoras Saičenka, the chief specialist of the power plant, explained that the mentioned procedure is likely to last up to the end of the year.
As A. Pranculis had already underlined once, the construction of the new power plant is most likely to commence the next year. “It would come into operation in 2011, said he. Of course, half of the new power plant capacities might be used in 2010 already.”
Capacities Will Demonstrate Substantial Increase
“After the shutdown of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, our power plant would be able to contribute to the satisfaction of needs as regards domestic power economy”, hopes Mr Pranculis. Current capacities of the heat and power plant amount to 170 megawatts, whereas the electrical and heat capacity of the block of combined cycle power plant would reach 350 megawatts. It would be adjusted for burning natural gas, however, diesel may be used as reserve fuel.
The new power plant will emerge in the power plant territory, close to the old block. Previous announcements by the company GAZPROM confirm that the development of the power plant would be required after the termination of operation of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.
“Current price of electricity, produced by the plant, is noticeably distorted by the competitive market, as its energy is sold at the price of one and a half times cheaper than that of the market. Therefore, presently none of the power plants is able to compete with the nuclear power plant”, confidently says Mr Pranculis.
Cheaper Production
Over the three recent years Kaunas Heat and Power Plant allotted around 40 million LTL for the modernization of the old power plant. “Once the new energy production block is built, the reliability of the power plant is likely to rise even more. In addition, the energy cost price will come to a decrease”, affirmed the manager of the power plant.
Nevertheless, Mr Pranculis could not tell whether Kaunas residents would continue enjoying the lowest heat prices in the country. “We are able to guarantee only the fact that we will remain the cheapest national energy producer; the energy supply price yet depends other than from us”, he explained.
Heat distributor in Kaunas is the municipality-controlled enterprise KAUNO ENERGIJA. It owns also Petrašiūnai Power Plant.
As of 2003 Kaunas Heat and Power Plant belongs to the Russian gas monopoly GAZPROM.
© Kauno diena