It is estimated that next season boiler plants of heat supplying companies as well as combined heat and power plants will consume around 512,000 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) of biofuel and 278,000 toe of gas. In 2013 they consumed 308,000 toe of biofuel and 634,000 toe of gas.
According to Vytautas Stasiunas, President of the Lithuanian District Heating Association (LSTA), next year heat supplying companies will need gas only in the coldest days of the year, when heat generation equipment will be working at full capacity. "It is a breaking point in Lithuania's heat sector history and huge benefit for the country's economy," he said.
In late 2014, installed thermal power capacity of biofuel equipment with condensing heat exchangers used by heat supplying and independent heat generating companies totalled 1,182 megawatts (MW). Meanwhile, by late 2015 it will reach 1,621 MW. Aggregate capacity of new biofuel plants will reach 440 MW.
According to the LSTA president, Vilnius will remain the biggest consumer of gas. Biofuel in the capital will constitute 40% of the total fuel used to produce heat. This means that heating price will not be as low as it could.
Based on the study carried out by Lithuanian Energy Consultants' Association in 2013, annual biofuel potential in Lithuania is 2.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Biofuel demand in 2020-2025 is expected to reach 1.48 million tonnes of oil equivalent.
