The National Energy Regulatory Council – VERT has approved the development plan when it comes to the hydrogen network of Lithuania every two years by the Lithuanian gas transmission system operator Amber Grid. For the first time in 2026, Amber Grid and Litgrid put together a joint scenario for the construction of electricity, gas, and hydrogen grids, on the foundation of which the network development plan of the gas operator for 2026-2035 was developed.
Amber Grid’s ten-year network development plan sees investments of €438.1 million in the natural gas transmission system and around 1.2 billion euros of investment when it comes to hydrogen infrastructure. Investments in the hydrogen network may reach EUR 1.7 billion with the implementation of the branch in Lithuania.
The planned investments in the hydrogen network of Lithuania are intended to ensure the secure and dependable operation of the gas transmission system and to make preparations for the long-term energy transition. According to the forecast, the demand for natural gas in Lithuania will be around 16-20 TWh in 2035, and thus the gas system will continue to play an important role in the country’s energy security, flexibility of the electricity system, and industrial demands. Lithuania remains a key regional gas corridor – around 40 terawatt-hours of gas will pass through the country annually, says Nemunas Biknius, Amber Grid CEO.
The majority of the investment in the natural gas transmission network will be directed to the reconstruction of the main gas pipelines, particularly in the direction of Panevėžys-Šiauliai and Vilnius-Kaunas, and the modernization of the construction of poly-centric compressor stations.
These projects will help improve system dependability and more efficient flow management as well as lower greenhouse gas emissions.
It is well to be noted that the role of renewable gas is also expected to grow. In the scenarios, biomethane could represent up to 10% of total petrol use in the country by 2035. This would lead to the decarbonization of energy sector and the efficient usage of local energy resources. The hydrogen network could link six countries in the region by 2035, and Lithuania could generate between 2.25 and 10.68 TWh of green hydrogen. The planned future infrastructure may establish conditions for new industries to emerge and reinforce the role of Lithuania as far as the regional energy market is concerned.