Kautra bus service base under construction at Klaipėda FEZ

Passenger transport company Kautra, which serves part of Klaipėda’s city routes, will soon complete a project for electric bus charging infrastructure in the Klaipėda FEZ. In the first half of next year, the company will build offices, staff facilities, a bus service center and a wash station. The project represents an investment of around €3 million.

Having won the city’s tender and introduced new Spanish IRIZAR e-Mobility electric buses to Klaipėda’s transport network in September, Kautra is implementing a greenfield investment in the Klaipėda FEZ.

Currently, at the site on Kretainio street 8, the company is constructing electric bus charging infrastructure, including two canopies with 36 fast-charging points of up to 150 kW each, complemented by solar panels. This setup will allow Kautra to efficiently operate a fleet of 36 electric buses in Klaipėda.

The company’s expansion will not stop there: offices, staff facilities, a service center and a bus wash are also under construction. The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026. The infrastructure will be available not only to electric buses but also to 17 new diesel buses and several dozen smaller Kautra vehicles operating in Klaipėda.

In the future, Kautra is considering adding equipment with electricity storage at the FEZ base. As transportation in Klaipėda and the surrounding region continues to electrify, the facility could eventually serve around 100 buses. The current €3 million investment is being financed through the company’s own capital, a Swedbank loan, and support from Lithuania’s Environmental Projects Management Agency.

According to Kautra CEO Linas Skardžiukas, Klaipėda FEZ was chosen for the project as the location best suited its needs compared to other options. He emphasizes that the investment is long-term, which presented challenges in finding innovative solutions designed to last decades.

“We believe this investment will create value for the entire city. The project is dedicated to operating eco-friendly public transport, providing residents with services using new environmentally friendly buses and implementing the latest technological solutions in the field,” says L. Skardžiukas.

Among the project’s main technology partners, Kautra highlights Finnish fast-charging infrastructure manufacturer Kempower and its implementation partner in Lithuania UAB Grinteco. The company is building a new substation in the Klaipėda FEZ at its own expense to ensure 1.3 MW of power, with plans to increase capacity to 5 MW in the future.

Eimantas Kiudulas, CEO of Klaipėda FEZ, notes that the new investment strengthens the territory’s transport and renewable energy investor portfolio.

“Beyond its strategic significance, we are proud that the Klaipėda FEZ will now contribute to a more modern and sustainable daily life for thousands of Klaipėda residents. Electric transport is no longer a distant future. We are delighted that, together with Kautra, we are bringing our city closer to the regional leaders in this area,” comments E. Kiudulas.