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EUR 4 million fire damage confirmed, EUR 10 million commitment agreed

2026-05-14

2+2 million EUR – that is the amount of damage the fire caused to the plant building and equipment. We will compensate this amount in full. And not only that – in total, we will cover around EUR 10 million in compensation and investments.

The value of the fire damage was assessed by independent experts hired by the Vilnius Regional Waste Management Centre (VAATC), and similar loss estimates were calculated by our own specialists. The settlement agreement regarding compensation for the damage and the conditions for modernising the plant was approved by the Vilnius District Court.

“We will compensate for the damage to the plant building and equipment, and we will also cover the majority of future investments in modern equipment, as we take our operational commitments seriously. Our shared goal is to create an advanced waste sorting facility in Vilnius that uses the latest technologies. We want to restore the plant’s full operations as quickly as possible, as negotiations on the agreement took time,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of our company.

The plant and its equipment were insured by BTA Baltic Insurance Company. The insurer has already paid EUR 0.5 million to VAATC as compensation for the lost equipment. This payment has been deducted from the compensation we are paying.

We agreed to rebuild the facility with modern equipment that meets today’s technological standards, rather than replacing it with the same systems that had been operating in the plant for more than 10 years and were lost in the fire.

We will also cover the majority (around EUR 6 million) of these additional investments, as throughout the remaining operational period of the plant we will compensate VAATC each month for the depreciation value of the new equipment, as well as annual interest of 6% on the total investment amount.

We will also pay VAATC a share of the profits earned, or revenues if they exceed the agreed threshold.

This means we have undertaken significant financial commitments and will need to operate very efficiently in order to meet them.

We are doing all of this to ensure that Vilnius has a modern, robotised waste sorting facility. And, as emphasised by Elida Drapienė, CEO of VAATC, to ensure that waste management costs for residents do not increase.

The fire at the waste sorting plant was extinguished on April 28 last year. A report by the Fire Research Centre confirmed that we have followed all fire safety and equipment operation regulations, and that the cause of the fire was external.

The Vilnius MBA Plant began operations more than 10 years ago. Mixed municipal waste from across the Vilnius region is brought there for sorting. The region includes eight municipalities: the City of Vilnius and the districts of Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai, Ukmergė, Švenčionys, Šalčininkai, and Širvintos.

Last year, we sorted 202,000 tonnes of mixed municipal waste at the plant. The majority of the waste (93%) was recovered and reused: recyclable materials were sent for recycling, SRF fuel produced from waste was delivered to a cement plant, and other waste was used as fuel at the Vilnius Cogeneration Plant.

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All safety requirements met – fire cause was external

2026-04-16

The Fire Investigation Centre has concluded that our company complied with all fire safety and equipment operation requirements. This means that we are not responsible for the fire that broke out at the Vilnius regional mixed municipal waste sorting facility at the end of April last year.

“Experts confirmed that we operated the facility in full compliance with all requirements – the building’s electrical systems and all equipment were in proper technical condition and did not cause the fire,” says Algirdas Blazgys, Director of our company.

According to the Fire Investigation Centre, the fire was caused by spontaneous ignition – it could have been a lithium-ion battery that ignited. The fire may also have been caused by another ignited waste item or object. The seat of the fire was identified in the shaft for sorted unsuitable waste.

This conclusion was reached after inspecting the building following the fire, analysing CCTV footage, and interviewing employees.

“As we thought from the beginning, the fire was caused by an item improperly disposed of with the waste. However, determining whether this item was discarded intentionally or accidentally, whether it ignited on its own or was ‘triggered’ by other factors, is extremely difficult. We believe that law enforcement is making every effort to find out,” adds A. Blazgys.

The Fire Investigation Centre’s findings are one of several expert assessments being conducted to determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible.

The fire at the waste sorting facility was extinguished on 28 April last year. The Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office has formed an inter-institutional task force to investigate the causes of the incident.

In the spring and early summer of last year, around 20 fires broke out at various waste sorting facilities across Lithuania. Such a high number of incidents within a short period exceeded the usual level for the waste management sector and raised suspicions of possible sabotage.

After several months, the wave of fires in the waste sector subsided, and this year, only isolated incidents have been recorded, which are typical for waste management operations.

Renovation works are already underway at the Vilnius mixed waste sorting facility. Structural elements in the affected part of the plant have been restored, and new façade elements are being installed. Our company is investing EUR 2 million in rebuilding the building.

Last year, 202 thousand tonnes of mixed municipal waste were sorted at the plant. The majority of the waste (93%) was recovered – recyclable materials were sent for recycling, SRF (solid recovered fuel) produced from waste was delivered to a cement plant, and other waste was used as fuel at the Vilnius cogeneration plant.

The Vilnius MBA (Mechanical Biological Treatment) facility was built more than 10 years ago. It processes municipal waste from the entire Vilnius region, which includes eight municipalities: the city of Vilnius and the districts of Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai, Ukmergė, Švenčionys, Šalčininkai, and Širvintos.

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3 900 tonnes of recyclables recovered – the weight of 90 aircraft

2026-04-02

Residents of the Vilnius region discard millions of glass, metal, plastic, and cardboard packages into mixed waste containers. Last year, we recovered as much recyclable material as the weight of 90 Boeing passenger aircraft – a total of 3 900 tonnes.

Every bag is opened

“Everything that residents throw into household waste containers is sorted. Every bag is opened, and recyclable materials are separated from its contents – glass, metals, paper and cardboard, and various plastics,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of Energesman.

At the Vilnius Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant, we recovered 1 929 tonnes of glass packaging from household waste last year – equivalent to around 2.5 million champagne bottles or 4 million wine bottles.

We also sent 279 tonnes of plastic for recycling. This corresponds to approximately 15 million units of plastic packaging, such as yogurt cups or milk bottles.

Additionally, we recovered 586 tonnes of paper and cardboard – roughly equal to 2.5 million shoeboxes.

“The amount of paper and cardboard waste is increasing every year. We associate this with the growing popularity of e-commerce, where many goods are shipped in cardboard boxes,” notes A. Blazgys.

From mixed household waste, we also recovered 22 tonnes of aluminium packaging last year – about 1.5 million cans. Another 1 084 tonnes consisted of other metal waste, which was also separated from the overall waste stream and sent for recycling.

In total, we recovered 3 900 tonnes of recyclable materials – equivalent to 90 Boeing 737 passenger aircraft.

93% of waste put to use

From mixed municipal waste generated by residents of the Vilnius region, we produce a certified SRF mixture, which is delivered to the Akmenė Cement plant.

Last year, we produced 15 000 tonnes of SRF – equivalent to the weight of a 10–15 storey reinforced concrete apartment building or a medium-sized ferry operating in the Baltic Sea.

“Dried and shredded, and mixed in the right proportions, the waste from the Vilnius region that we delivered to the cement plant became part of clinker – from which cement is produced,” explains A. Blazgys.

In total, 202 000 tonnes of mixed municipal waste were delivered to the plant last year.

The majority (93%) was utilized: recyclable materials were sent for recycling, SRF became part of cement production, and other waste was used as fuel at the Vilnius combined heat and power plant.

Only around 7% of the waste that could not be used in any way was disposed of in a landfill.

Operating at a loss

Our company, Energesman UAB, as the operator of the Vilnius MBT plant, recorded a loss of EUR 0.56 million last year. The company’s revenue amounted to EUR 11.67 million.

“The loss was due to decreased revenue and increased costs incurred to ensure uninterrupted waste sorting for residents. We had to rent mobile sorting equipment and transport waste for sorting to MBT facilities in other regions when the Vilnius plant was unable to operate – all of this resulted in additional costs,” says A. Blazgys.

In total, we incurred over EUR 1 million in additional expenses last year.

Renovation works are currently underway at the plant. New load-bearing columns have already been installed, metal beams are being mounted, and facades will be added on top.

We are investing around EUR 2 million of the company’s own funds into the renovation of the plant building. The plant was built more than 10 years ago.

The Vilnius MBT plant processes municipal waste from across Vilnius County, which includes 8 municipalities: Vilnius City and the districts of Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai, Ukmergė, Švenčionys, Šalčininkai, and Širvintos.

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Renovation of the factory building underway

2026-03-09

We have launched renovation works on the building of the Vilnius regional waste sorting facility. The project will involve an investment of around EUR 2 million and is expected to be completed by this summer.

Renovation of nearly half of the factory

“We had been waiting for the construction works since last year – this is an important step forward for us. Once the building is renovated, we will be able to move all waste sorting processes indoors. Some of these processes are currently carried out in the factory yard. This will ensure smoother and more efficient operations and allow us to work independently of weather conditions,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of Energesman.

The renovated section of the factory covers almost 10,000 square meters. In this part of the building, supporting structures as well as wall and roof coverings will be replaced. The total area of the factory is 21,000 square meters, meaning the renovation will cover slightly less than half of the facility.

The renovation works are financed by Energesman, with the company investing approximately EUR 2 million.

https://youtu.be/pB8TIMdRtXc 

Materials manufactured in Lithuania

Most of the materials used in the renovation are produced by Lithuanian companies under special orders. The manufacturing of the structures began last autumn, once construction experts had completed their assessment of how many and which structures would need to be replaced.

Currently, 43 new reinforced concrete columns are being installed at the factory. Metal beams that will support the roof and walls will later be attached to these columns.

Each column is 12.9 meters high, with a diameter of 0.5 meters, and weighs 8 tonnes. Together, the columns weigh a total of 344 tonnes.

An additional 107 tonnes of metal beams have also already been delivered to the factory site.

The columns were supplied by the Kaunas-based company Kauno perdanga, while the metal beams were delivered by the metal processing company Litvija, located in Mažeikiai. Roof and wall cladding is being manufactured by several factories in neighbouring Poland.

Cold weather delayed the start of works

Renovation works at the factory were initially planned to begin in December last year, but were postponed until the end of February due to weather conditions.

“The columns were delivered before Christmas, but cold weather set in and we had to wait for more favourable conditions, as technically the columns could only be installed at temperatures no lower than -5°C,” explains Eugenijus Misiūra, CEO of the construction company Telšių statyba, which is the general contractor for the project.

According to the head of the construction company, the installation of the columns is expected to be completed this week. Metal structures will then be installed, followed by the roof covering and, later, the walls.

“Our biggest challenge is that the work is taking place in an operating factory, where waste is constantly being delivered and sorted. This requires more coordination between the teams,” he adds.

Largest waste sorting facility in Lithuania

The Vilnius MBA facility operated by Energesman sorts around 210,000 tonnes of mixed municipal and food waste each year – about one third of all such waste generated in Lithuania.

Mixed municipal waste delivered to the Vilnius MBA plant comes from across the Vilnius County, which includes eight municipalities: Vilnius, Vilnius District Municipality, Trakai District Municipality, Elektrėnai Municipality, Ukmergė District Municipality, Švenčionys District Municipality, Šalčininkai District Municipality and Širvintos District Municipality.

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Famous vlogger visited the factory

2026-02-25

We invite you to watch an episode of Skirmantas Malinauskas’s vlog about the dozens of fires that broke out at waste-processing facilities in Lithuania last year and the possibility that some of them may have been deliberate acts of arson.

“I am not someone who tends to believe in coincidences when so many of them happen at the same time,” Malinauskas says at the end of the episode.

The vlogger visited our facility together with our company’s CEO, Algirdas Blazgys. During the visit, he acknowledges that it is currently extremely difficult to find conclusive evidence proving that these incidents were deliberate acts of sabotage.

Arson targeting strategic facilities is one of the methods used in hybrid warfare by hostile forces in Lithuania. We can recall the already uncovered arson attack on the IKEA Vilnius store, burning shipments handled by DHL, and attempts to set fire to the factory of TVC Solutions in Siauliai, which produces equipment for Ukraine.

There are many questions about the causes and the course of the fire:

❓ Why did the fire start when the waste had not been moved for about 20 hours? If the fire had been caused by a damaged lithium-ion battery, it would have ignited immediately after the damage occurred.

❓ Why did the fire start on the only day of the week – and in the early morning hours – when there were no employees at the facility?

❓ Why did at least 17 waste fires occur within two months, when there had been none before or after that period?

❓ High air temperatures also cannot explain the fires, as the temperature inside waste piles remains stable both in winter and summer. Last summer was not hot – on the contrary, it was cool and rainy.

We invite you to watch the episode and decide for yourself whether these questions also arise for you – the vlog is in Lithuanian. The discussion about the fires begins at 30:50. You can find the video here. 

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Columns delivered – preparing for construction

2026-01-30

We are ready to begin the reconstruction of the factory building – all 43 columns and installation materials have been delivered. We are now waiting for temperatures to rise to a level suitable for construction work.

“Winter has slightly delayed the start of our work, as technologically the columns can only be installed at temperatures no lower than -5°C. The columns were delivered before Christmas, but a cold spell began right away, so we’ve had to wait for more favourable weather. Still, we expect the cold to end soon and to get started,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of our company.

Construction experts have assessed that 43 columns need to be replaced. Over the summer and autumn, the old columns were dismantled and the foundations prepared for the installation of new ones.

We want to thank Kauno Perdanga for manufacturing and delivering the reinforced concrete columns on time.

Once the columns are replaced, we will proceed with installing the roof and walls, which are already in production. After that, the installation of new equipment will follow.

The factory is set for a full-scale upgrade this year, ensuring that waste in the Vilnius region is handled using modern, innovative solutions.

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Joyful holidays and innovative New Year 2026!

2025-12-23

As we overcome challenges, we discover new opportunities and real value.

Thank you for being with us this year – together, we can create a more sustainable, resilient, and innovative world.

This year’s challenges have helped us grow – the walls of our new modern factory are already rising. Even the flies we rear have shown resilience, which is why Musca domestica symbolically features on our holiday card.

We wish you a joyful Christmas, and may 2026 bring fresh ideas, bold decisions, and even more meaningful innovations.

Best wishes from the Energesman team!

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Aren’t we fooling ourselves by blaming batteries for fires?

2025-12-09

As suddenly as they began, they ended. For several months now, there have been no fires at waste management facilities. Yet in spring and summer, waste sites were going up in flames several times a week. Have residents stopped throwing away lithium batteries? No – we still find them among waste every day.

“I believe that at the time we were experiencing yet another hybrid attack, but the question is whether we dare to admit this to ourselves,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of our company, in an opinion article published on the news portal Delfi.

This year alone, at least twenty-three fires broke out at waste sorting and recycling facilities. Almost all of them occurred within just a few months, between late April and June. This had never happened before.

We often hear that lithium-ion batteries caused these fires. Yes, some fires are indeed caused by overheating or damaged batteries.

But certainly not all of them. We still find batteries among waste every day, yet the fires have stopped. Apartment fires caused by scooter batteries have not increased this year either – if batteries were the cause, they would be burning everywhere, not only at waste collection sites.

Throwing an explosive mixture or device into a waste container is an extremely easy task for hostile forces. Calculating exactly when it should ignite or explode is somewhat more complicated. That is precisely why we saw not only factories burning, but also garbage trucks and waste containers.

Identifying the person who disposed of such a device is practically impossible.

We must dare to admit to ourselves that in spring and summer, we experienced yet another hybrid attack. By failing to name our enemies and the real threats we face, we make ourselves even more vulnerable.

It is only a matter of time before the next attack occurs – the only question is where and when.

We invite you to read the full opinion article on the portal.

 

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Partnership with Kaunas University of Applied Sciences

2025-11-03

We are pleased to establish a productive partnership with Kaunas University of Applied Sciences (Kauno kolegija). Since early September, three student groups have been conducting analyses, surveys, and applying various methodologies to provide insights on enhancing our corporate image.

“Transparency and an innovative approach to waste management are central to our operations. We continuously seek new ways to recycle waste that generate greater added value. Likewise, we embrace innovation in communications and marketing – this is the mindset that guides all our activities,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of our company.

We want to thank the students for their valuable contributions, as well as lecturers Ligita Zailskaitė, Ieva Kniukštienė, and Jūratė Maščinskienė, and the leadership of the Faculty of Business for providing the opportunity to present our challenge for student research.

It was encouraging to see that many surveyed residents in the Vilnius region are familiar with our brand, with a significant number already associating it with innovation in waste management.

We also received a recommendation to strengthen our social media presence. We welcome your feedback – what topics would you like to see covered in our updates? 

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Building a stronger, more efficient waste system

2025-10-01

This spring, when operations at our managed plant were temporarily suspended, waste flows were redistributed. This gave us a real-life test of our waste system’s crisis resilience and revealed what needs to be strengthened.

“It’s clear that right now we have a unique opportunity to create new, modern MBT facilities that would ensure more efficient sorting – it would be a shame not to use this opportunity. State support is crucial, as it will create value for the entire waste management system,” said Algirdas Blazgys, our company’s CEO, at the 22nd Druskininkai Forum “Waste Management 2025”.

It is also important to prepare for future crises – it’s only a matter of time before they happen again. To be ready, we need:

  • A national emergency MBT capacity reserve equipped with modular lines, screens, presses, and other mobile units.
  • Pre-agreed interregional arrangements for alternative (“detour”) routes and gate fees in case of stress situations.

Data from this spring and summer show that if we are not prepared, we will again face situations where:

  • Only partially sorted waste is sent for incineration – out of 10,310 tons received, 9,310 tons were burned.
  • Industrial SRF demand cannot be met – this summer, production was reduced tenfold.
  • A portion of waste remains untreated – around 18,500 tons were landfilled, left at waste operators’ sites, or otherwise unmanaged.

Thank you for the discussions – it was a pleasure to meet and talk about current market issues. Only through dialogue can we find the solutions our waste management system urgently needs.

Photos from the forum.

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