ESO has contributed to attracting investors to Lithuania by accelerating the procedure for connecting businesses to the electricity distribution network

ESO has been simplifying and improving the procedures for connecting to the electricity distribution network for both residents and businesses for several years now. The company completed new procurement procedures that will allow investors in Free Economic Zones to be connected to the electricity networks twice as fast – in one year instead of the previous two. Public procurement procedures for long-term contracts for the supply of transformers were completed in 2019, which allows ESO to receive transformers faster. If, so far, investors having joined a FEZ had been connected to the electricity distribution network within a few years because of long-lasting procurement and other procedures, the shortening of the procurement chain has allowed connecting them within one year.

“Foreign capital companies planning to invest want to start operating in FEZ territories as soon as possible, but the development of transformers is necessary to ensure electric capacity needs of the investors, which normally takes 2 years, including all procedures. By concluding preliminary contracts, we have shortened the duration of procurement procedures, which will create more favourable conditions for investors to come to Lithuania. Since now on, they will not have to wait to create jobs and contribute to the country’s economic growth”, says Ovidijus Martinonis, Network Development Manager at ESO.

Such constant efforts of the company’s specialists do not go unnoticed. Lithuania climbed up to the 26^th position in the ranking assessing business environment Doing Business 2019 created by the World Bank in 2018, while just a few years ago, conditions for establishing a business were ranked at the 55^th place.

But ESO’s team does not stop here and works together with other institutions to connect customers to electricity network even faster. This is especially important for foreign business investing money in Lithuania’s economic growth.

In the development of a reliable distribution network that meets the needs of electric capacity, ESO also plans to invest in developing FEZ territories and industrial parks of Kaunas, Marijampolė, Kėdainiai, Šiauliai, Klaipėda, Panevėžys and Alytus till 2023. Preliminary preparatory actions carried out will allow investors to settle on more favourable, flexible and faster terms.

A number of procedures for getting electricity combined in the last few years allowed reducing the time for getting electricity. Currently, objects of business customers are connected to the distribution network within about 34 calendar days, and those of private customers - within 25 days.