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Lithuanian utility Ignitis and German virtual power plant specialist emsys VPP are expanding their partnership so that battery storage can provide balancing energy in the Baltic power market. The Virtual Power Plant (VPP) that emsys VPP implemented for Ignitis is being upgraded with a balancing power module, creating the digital infrastructure needed to support frequency control on Lithuania’s grid.
New balancing requirements after synchronisation
Fast-responding flexible resources are becoming more important as the share of variable renewables grows. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania disconnected from the Russian-controlled IPS/UPS system on 8 February 2025 and joined the continental European synchronous area (ENTSO-E) the following day, which introduced new requirements for frequency control and for balancing short-term fluctuations.
“Battery storage systems, in particular, can respond very quickly to changes in the grid and therefore play a key role in increasing the flexibility of the power system,” said Eike Arndt, Managing Director of emsys VPP.
Prequalification for aFRR and mFRR
To take part in the balancing market, assets must be technically connected, prequalified and linked to the control system of Lithuanian transmission system operator Litgrid. The current project focuses on automatic and manual frequency restoration reserves (aFRR and mFRR); in the future the solution may be extended to further flexibility sources such as wind and solar plants.
“Adding the balancing power module to the VPP marks an important next step in our collaboration with emsys VPP,” said Aivaras Slivikas, Head of Short-Term Trading at Ignitis. “Pooling battery storage systems in our Virtual Power Plant enables us to respond more precisely and flexibly to the daily needs of the electricity and balancing markets, while maximizing the value generated by these assets.”
Building on a 650 MW portfolio
The two companies have worked together since 2024. The VPP was first implemented to support the direct marketing of Ignitis’ portfolio of approximately 650 MW and also covers generation forecasts for its wind and solar assets. Battery storage systems are already being traded successfully on the intraday market. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme of the German Energy Solutions Initiative.
Sources
emsys VPP and Ignitis press release, “Battery Storage Enters the Balancing Market to Strengthen Grid Stability: Ignitis and emsys VPP Expand Partnership”, Vilnius / Oldenburg, 19 October 2026.
Image: UAB Fimitas – 2 MW BESS in Druskininkai, Lithuania
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