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About

Lithuanian Hydropower Association

Aims and activities

The Lithuanian Hydropower Association (LHA) brings together hydropower companies, researchers, and enthusiasts in the field. We advocate for the interests of our members by participating in the development and enactment of legal acts regulating hydropower generation and maintenance. We provide consultations on technical and legal matters, assist in advancing innovative, environmentally friendly, and safe energy technologies, also initiate and participate in scientific research and studies. To promote hydropower, we actively cooperate with local communities, higher education institutions, and the media. We keep in touch and exchange best practices with international hydropower and hydrology associations.

Brief
history of Lithuanian hydropower.

The significance of small hydropower plants for the Lithuanian energy system

The Lithuanian Hydropower Association asked researchers from the Department of Electric Power Systems at Kaunas University of Technology to evaluate the significance of the small hydropower plants for the Lithuanian electricity system. The study reveals that the value created by small hydropower plants for the public ranges from 24 million EUR to 384 million EUR annually until 2030, aligning with the strategic goals of the energy sector.

The study summary (in Lithuanian) can be found here.

Advantages of hydropower plants

In Lithuania, the installed capacity of small hydropower plants is 28 MW, they generate approximately 100 GWh per year, which accounts for 3-4% of the total electricity generation.

The main advantages of the hydropower plants, as indicated in the study:

  • They represent the most appealing form of renewable energy, as they are an easily forecasted and controllable source of baseload generation.
  • They are 3.2 times more efficient than solar power plants and 1.5 times more efficient than grid-connected wind power plants.
  • They facilitate the integration of more solar and wind generation into the Lithuanian electricity system, creating a unique synergy of renewable resources. They are flexible and rapidly adjustable throughout the day and across seasons, and they help balance the electricity system by providing power reserves that can be used by solar and wind generators.