Litgrid
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity transmission |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Vilnius , Lithuania |
Area served | Lithuania, international connections to Sweden, Poland, Latvia, Belarus, Russia (Kaliningrad) |
Key people | Rokas Masiulis (General Manager), Tomas Varneckas (Chairman of the Board) |
| Products | Electricity transmission services |
| Owner | EPSO-G UAB (97.5%) |
Number of employees | 300+ (2021) |
Litgrid AB serves as Lithuania's electricity transmission system operator, overseeing the national transmission network and facilitating its integration into the broader European electricity infrastructure and market.
The company has successfully delivered major international initiatives such as NordBalt (linking Lithuania and Sweden) and LitPol Link (connecting Lithuania and Poland), while driving Lithuania’s strategic effort to align its power system with the continental European grid. Litgrid employs a workforce exceeding 300 individuals.
Since 2010, Litgrid's shares have been publicly traded on the NASDAQ OMX Vilnius exchange. EPSO-G UAB, under the control of Lithuania’s Ministry of Energy, holds a 97.5% ownership stake in Litgrid.
History
Established in 2010 amid the restructuring of Lithuania’s energy sector in compliance with the EU's third energy package, Litgrid was created by separating electricity transmission from generation and supply functions. During 2010–2011, Litgrid took over responsibility for the transmission grid’s ownership and upkeep from Lietuvos energija (currently Ignitis group), which retained control over power generation assets. From 1 October 2012, Litgrid has operated independently from companies involved in electricity production, supply, or distribution. The company is tasked with executing 14 government-endorsed synchronisation projects deemed vital for national energy security.
Operations
By 2021, Litgrid manages approximately 7,000 km of overhead power lines, more than 200 transformer substations, and 17 interconnection lines linking Lithuania to neighboring states. The network features four 330 kV links each with Latvia and Belarus, alongside three connections to Russia’s Kaliningrad region, ensuring stable electricity transmission across Lithuanian territory.
Key projects
Commissioned in 2015, the LitPol Link marked the first direct electrical connection between the Baltic region and Western Europe. This high-capacity 400 kV line to Poland enables synchronous operation with continental European grids and facilitates market integration. The project was developed jointly by Litgrid and Polish operator PSE.
The NordBalt interconnector established a roughly 450 km link between Lithuania and Sweden utilizing underwater and underground HVDC cables along with converter stations, delivering a capacity of 700 MW. Operational since 2015, it broadened energy supply options and contributed to a 30% price reduction within its initial year. This initiative was completed in collaboration with Swedish operator Svenska kraftnät.
Harmony Link is an upcoming HVDC connection spanning about 330 km between Lithuania and Poland, offering a capacity of 700 MW through a combination of underwater and underground cable segments. It will connect Poland’s Żarnowiec substation with Lithuania’s newly constructed Darbėnai switching station, improving synchronization with the European grid. Construction is scheduled to start in 2023 with commissioning planned for 2025. The project’s total investment amounts to €680 million, including €493 million financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility.
Synchronizing Lithuania’s electric system with the continental European network is essential for achieving energy sovereignty by eliminating dependence on Russian-controlled frequency operations via IPS/UPS. A political agreement signed in June 2019 defines critical projects aimed at full integration by 2025, valued at about €1.6 billion with EU funding exceeding €1 billion. Alongside new interconnections like Harmony Link, this strategy involves upgrading internal networks and installing synchronous compensators.
By late 2020, three key synchronisation initiatives were completed: expansion of Bitėnai substation, construction of a new overhead line between Pagėgiai and Bitėnai, and reconstruction of the Elektrėnai Power Plant–Vilnius transmission line. Additionally, a new control and data centre for electricity transmission system management—focused on frequency regulation and cyber security—has been planned for operation by 2025; it has held national importance status since 2015.
On 8 February 2025, the Baltic states permanently disconnected from IPS/UPS networks, finalizing their integration into the continental European electricity grid.
Governance
As of February 2021, the position of general manager is held by Rokas Masiulis. The board of directors consists of the following individuals:
- Tomas Varneckas – Serving as Chairman since 29 December 2022
- Mindaugas Keizeris – Board Member since 22 December 2022
- Domas Sidaravičius – Independent Board Member since 20 April 2020
- Gediminas Karalius – Board Member since 20 April 2022