VILNIUS: Lithuania’s capital Vilnius has completed a 3 MW green hydrogen production plant at the site of its Second Combined Heat and Power Plant, with equipment and system testing now underway. The city’s first publicly accessible hydrogen filling station is also being installed at the Viršuliškės public transport park, as Vilnius prepares to introduce hydrogen-powered buses by the end of 2026, Fuel Cells Works reported.
The plant was developed under the “Green Hydrogen Production for Public Transport in Vilnius City” project by Miesto gijos together with its shareholder, Vilnius City Municipality. The project was funded through an agreement with the Central Project Management Agency, while MT Group served as the general contractor.
€10 million project
The project is valued at around €10 million, including €5.64 million in European Union funding. The remaining cost was covered by Vilnius City Municipality. The full EU funding allocated to the project has been recognised as eligible, and all payments under the support agreement have been completed.
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the city had developed infrastructure that did not exist in Vilnius or the surrounding region a few years ago, covering clean energy production and its use in public transport.
He said European Union investment had made a significant contribution to the development.
Production requirements
Although the funding agreement has been completed, the plant must meet specific operating requirements for the next five years. Hydrogen must be produced entirely from renewable energy, meet the ISO 14687:2019 standard and have a purity of at least 99.99%, making it suitable for transport.
During the five-year period, the plant must produce at least 1.425 million cubic metres, or 128,000 kg, of green hydrogen in at least one year. At full capacity, the facility can produce up to 285,000 kg annually.
Gerimantas Bakanas, CEO of Gijai, said the completion of the funding agreement marked the beginning of the next stage of the project.
He said testing of the hydrogen filling station would continue, followed by the first green hydrogen being supplied to buses. He added that the project’s obligations could be measured and would be reported publicly.
16 hydrogen buses in first phase
In the first phase, 16 public transport buses in Vilnius will operate on green hydrogen instead of diesel. The switch is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 1,400 tonnes a year.
The plant’s 3 MW production capacity would be enough to supply around 40 hydrogen-powered buses, allowing the city to expand its clean public transport fleet in the future.
The hydrogen filling station at the Viršuliškės public transport park will be open to the public. It is expected to serve city buses as well as commercial vehicles and private motorists.
Hydrogen plant linked to CHP site
The Second Combined Heat and Power Plant site was selected because it already has equipment and infrastructure for heat and electricity generation.
The existing facilities can help make better use of resources generated during hydrogen production. Waste heat from the hydrogen production process can be used for district heating, while water that is not suitable for electrolysis can be used elsewhere in the combined heat and power process.
The project also has a role connected with the electricity transmission system, although details of this arrangement have not been specified in the Lithuanian-language announcements.
Following completion of the remaining equipment tests and the hydrogen filling station, green hydrogen production in Vilnius is expected to begin by the end of 2026.
The project has not disclosed the name of the electrolyser supplier, the price of hydrogen or the supply terms agreed with the public transport operator.
