AB “Kauno tiltai” is preparing for the next phase of the Klaipėda liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal electrification project—the installation of a 30 kV subsea cable. The 3.88-kilometer-long cable, manufactured in Finland at the contractor’s request, has already been delivered to the construction site. Once the connection is installed, the floating storage unit “Independence” will be able to draw electricity from shore.
The cable was manufactured by Prysmian Group Finland. Transporting this long and heavy cargo required three separate reels, weighing a total of approximately 79 metric tons. The journey to Klaipėda took place in two stages: the cargo was shipped by sea from Finland to Estonia, and from there it was transported by land to the worksite this week.
“We measure the length of the cable in kilometers, but the reliability of the connection begins with every single component. Our job is to ensure that the complex engineering beneath the Curonian Lagoon guarantees a smooth and reliable supply of electricity to ships,” says Aldas Rusevičius, CEO of AB “Kauno tiltai.”
Installation of the cable, which is adapted for the marine environment, is scheduled to begin shortly. The route for the cable has already been laid using directional drilling. Most of the subsea cable will run beneath the Curonian Lagoon, at depths of approximately 45 meters in some places, while the remaining section will extend to the terminal’s pier. The cable itself has a diameter of about 11 centimeters.
These installation works are scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2027. At the same time, the onshore section of the interconnection will be installed; a cable approximately 2.5 kilometers long for this section has already arrived at the construction site. The power interconnection, comprising both onshore and underwater sections, will stretch a total of about 6.5 kilometers.
“Kauno Tiltai,” the winner of the public procurement tender, has been tasked with designing and constructing the interconnection within the city of Klaipėda and across the Curonian Lagoon. The contractor will also install the necessary onshore infrastructure for power supply from the shore, at the LNG terminal pier, and on the vessel “Independence.” The entire project is scheduled for completion by May 2028.
The value of the contract between “Kauno tiltai” and “KN Energies” is 19.3 million euros, excluding VAT. A grant of 6 million euros from the European Union’s Modernization Fund has been allocated to finance the electrification.
