
Conference “Thermal Energy – 2025”
17 March 2025
The annual conference “Thermal Energy – 2025” was held on March 13 at Lithuanian Energy Institute together with partners Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuanian District Heating Association (LDHA), and Lithuanian Association of Thermal Engineering (LTERA). This conference aims to present and discuss the challenges which emerge in the district heating & cooling sector. The target groups of this conference are mainly district heating companies, energy companies, some municipalities, and the academic community in the sector.
In total 161 participants attended our conference, including 65 representatives of the Lithuanian District Heating Association and DH companies, independent producers, 30 energy companies, and 48 academicians from Lithuanian Energy Institute, Kaunas University of Technology and Vilnius TECH University. There were also 12 representatives of National authorities – Ministry of Energy, National Regulatory Energy Council, Biomass Exchange Baltpool and several municipalities, as well as 6 representatives of various interested companies.
Dr Rimantas Bakas, a member of the organising committee of the conference, noted that thermal energy accounts for more than 40% of the total energy consumption in Lithuania. Therefore, he believes that increasing the efficiency of energy production and consumption in the field of thermal energy would have a significant effect on the overall energy sector in Lithuania.
The conference discussed energy policy, regulatory and technology development issues relevant for today and the future: synthetic fuels, hydrogen transportation, integration and balancing of renewable energy sources, project financing, optimisation of heat and power generation and supply systems, and development and application of state-of-the-art, research-based technologies.
The event highlighted solutions to improve the efficiency of the heating sector, including lowering the temperature of heat supply and further diversifying the use of renewable energy sources (RES) and waste heat. Topics on the training of energy professionals were also presented.
The conference was opened by Andrius Tamošiūnas, Deputy Director of LEI, and Edita Gudauskienė, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, who welcomed everyone. The programme of presentations was opened by Karolis Švaikauskas, Head of the Energy Competitiveness Group of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, who gave a presentation on “The Heat Economy in the Plans for Energy Transformation”.
The conference was also attended by speakers from the State Energy Regulatory Council, Ignitis Renewables, Vilniaus šilumos tinklai, ILTE – National Development Bank, Amber Grid, Jonavos šilumos tinklai, Kauno energija, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LEI, KTU, and LSTA.
LEI scientists R. Bakas, Rolandas Urbonas, Nerijus Striūgas, Egidijus Babilas, Farida Dzenajavičienė and Ramūnas Gatautis presented the international projects currently underway in the district heating sector (European Horizon, LIFE, Interreg, Erasmus+). Dr. R. Urbonas gave a presentation on “Research and innovation in the CHP sector in the perspective of European Commission programmes”. Dr. Rimantas Levinskas, Project Manager of the LEI Research, Experimental Development and Innovation Transfer Centre (RETDC), talked about the Institute’s research and innovation activities related to the district heating sector.
Farida Dzenajavičienė made the presentation on Energy Equilibrium project and presented also the Energy Equilibrium platform.
Lithuanian version on LEI website