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52 min ago 2 min read
Renewable energy firm Akola Bioenergy (Akola), a subsidiary of Lithuanian agribusiness Akola Group, has started production at its 36.35 GWh a year biomethane plant in Lukšiai, Šakiai District.
The Lukšiai plant, which marks Akola’s entry into the Lithuanian biomethane market, is backed by €11m ($12.6m) in investments, including nearly €3.5m ($4m) granted through the European Union.
The company will inject biomethane into the national gas transmission network and export to European markets.
Akola will utilise organic feedstock from the group’s wider agricultural operations, with up to 70% of processed biomass targeted to come from within the group.
The site is co-located with one of Akola’s largest farming operations, operated through its subsidiary Lukšių ŽŪB, which manages over 3,000 hectares of agricultural land and 1,600 livestock units.
At full capacity, Akola expects the Lukšiai plant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent each year.
The main biogas production equipment was supplied by Germany’s Ellman Engineering, and the biomethane upgrading system was provided by Dutch engineering firm DMT.
Biomethane is upgraded from biogas, produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic waste products.
According to Lithuanian natural gas operator Amber Grid, Lithuania could produce approximately 1.4 TWh of biomethane by 2030.
It is estimated that around 12 biomethane plants could be operational in Lithuania by 2028, contingent on stable investment and long-term support mechanisms.
