Lietuvos Energija, as the sole shareholder of Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant (Vilnius CHP), approved a new independent Management Board member — Paul K. Dainora, an executive with more than 25 years of experience in the energy sector, who started his role on 3 June.

Darius Maikštėnas, CEO and Chair of the Management Board of Lietuvos Energija, said the Vilnius CHP project is among the most complex and important in the country, and he is delighted that Dainora, who brings extensive international experience, is joining the Board to help ensure the project's successful implementation.

Dainora holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University, USA, and a master's degree in Economics and Finance from West Chester University, USA. He began his professional career in 1986 at energy and engineering companies in the US, moved to Canada in 2002, and to Europe in 2008, working at German energy and engineering companies, including his current employer where he serves as Director of Sales and Business Development. Fluent in four languages, he was selected from a shortlist of 40 candidates.

The new Vilnius CHP is expected to generate almost half of the capital's district heating from biofuels and municipal waste, using up to 160,000 tonnes per year of non-recyclable municipal waste left after sorting, helping to meet the European Commission's Circular Economy targets. Construction of the plant is expected to create approximately 750 jobs, with around 100 permanent positions once built.