Construction completed on 3MW Lithuanian green hydrogen plant | Mobility

A 3MW green hydrogen plant in Vilnius, Lithuania, has been completed, with commissioning now underway ahead of operations scheduled before the end of the year.

The project developed by Vilnius city-owned heat and energy supplier Miesto Gijos will supply the Lithuanian capital’s “first publicly accessible” hydrogen refuelling station, set to fuel 16 public transport buses in an initial deployment phase.

Located next to a heat and power plant, it will use existing electricity generation to produce green hydrogen, which could eventually fuel up to 40 buses as well as commercial vehicles and individual drivers.

Built by engineering, procurement, and construction firm MT Group, it was allocated €5.6m ($6.5m) in EU funds and will be required to produce at least 128 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to fulfil its financial arrangement.

The remainder of its €10m ($11.6m) price tag came from Vilnius City Municipality.

Hydrogen infrastructure for public transport in Europe has seen increased investment as states and private operators pursue usage mandates in the mobility sector.

Under the Renewable Energy Directive III, 1% of fuel supplied will need to come from renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) by 2030, with certified hydrogen use in fuel cell vehicles eligible to meet the quotas.

Lithuania is planning to introduce a 1% RFNBO target for 2030, with proposed non-compliance penalties equivalent to €7.20/kg.

While Lithuania’s refuelling network remains early-stage, the country is targeting 1.3GW of electrolysis capacity to produce at least 129,000 tonnes annually by 2030 under broader green hydrogen ambitions.

MT Group opened the country’s first hydrogen station at the Port of Klaipéda earlier this year.