Litgrid announced on 10 November 2026 that Lithuania will develop a minimum of ten new power plants with a combined capacity of 800 MW to bolster the electricity system against sabotage, cyber‑attacks, extreme weather and other emergencies.

The scheme is expected to attract about €880 million of private‑sector investment, which will finance construction and operation of the facilities; the amount does not represent a state construction budget.

Plants will be sited near key transmission nodes across the country and selected through competitive, technology‑neutral tenders, allowing market participants to propose any generation technology that meets the required response times and reliability standards.

Each facility must be able to start supplying power within 30 minutes, operate continuously for up to two weeks in an emergency, and provide flexible output to match system needs.

While gas‑fired units are seen as a likely option because of quick start‑up capability, the procurement rules do not restrict developers to any particular fuel, leaving room for alternative technologies that satisfy the operational criteria.

The programme will be rolled out in two phases: Phase 1 (2028‑2033) will create four regional “energy islands” covering Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda‑Mazeikiai and Šiauliai‑Panevėžys, with limited isolated operation possible as early as 2028; Phase 2, from 2033 onward, will expand the concept to seven zones covering the whole country.

Litgrid opened a public consultation on the plan on 10 November 2026, running until 10 December 2026, after which the first procurement tenders could be issued in 2027, with successful bidders expected to install the new capacity within five years.

Developers will sell electricity on the market under normal conditions and receive separate payments for providing emergency standby and isolated‑operation services under 15‑year contracts procured by Litgrid.

The initiative forms part of a broader “energy islands” concept that divides the national grid into seven independently operating regional zones, allowing essential services to remain powered if the main 330‑kV transmission network is disrupted.

Litgrid notes that the success of the programme depends on private investors submitting competitive bids that can meet the technical requirements, as well as on permitting, grid‑connection and fuel‑supply considerations.