Estonia’s Evecon is developing a €27 million solar park, which will be constructed by RNDV

About us Sep 27, 2024

One of the largest solar parks in the Baltic region, featuring a solar tracking system, will be constructed near Marijampolė, in Kapsai. With a project value of €27 million, this development is led by UAB Wiso Engineering, the construction manager for energy projects owned by the Lithuanian-Estonian company UAB Evecon. The main contractor for the project is Lithuania’s RNDV Group.

The solar park is expected to generate approximately 52 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to supply over 12,000 households in Lithuania with clean, renewable energy. Covering an 86-hectare area, RNDV Group will install nearly 52,000 solar modules on a dynamic mounting system.

The variable-angle tracking system adjusts the tilt of the solar modules to an optimal angle, maximizing energy capture, especially during morning and evening peak hours when electricity prices are highest. This technology significantly increases energy yield compared to fixed-angle systems.

RNDV Group specializes in large-scale, technologically complex solar park projects across Lithuania and Western Europe, including France and Germany. In 2022, the company completed its first 10 MW park, followed by 90 MW in 2023, and plans to complete 250 MW of solar projects in 2024. Recent projects include a 5.3 MW rooftop installation in Germany, a 1.6 MW rooftop system at the Lidl logistics center in Lithuania, and ground-mounted solar plants of 17 MW, 13 MW, and 8 MW in France.

According to Aurimas Budrys, Head of RNDV’s Solar Construction Division, the project near Marijampolė is unique due to its tight schedule and winter construction timeline. “We’ll be completing a highly complex and large-scale project within just five months during the cold season. Given the client’s tight deadlines, we plan to complete major construction before the winter starts. We have assembled a team of 120 specialists, with whom we’ve successfully delivered similar projects in Western Europe,” says Budrys.

Vytautas Kieras, Head of the Lithuanian division of renewable energy company Wiso Engineering, says the Marijampolė solar park is their largest project in Lithuania. Wiso Engineering has already completed four solar parks in the country, including one in Panevėžys, one in Jurbarkas, and two in Varėna.

“Evecon’s ambitious goal is to develop one of the largest renewable energy portfolios in the Baltics. Over the next few years, we plan to install significant capacities of solar, wind, and battery parks across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, exceeding 4 GW in total. Once the Marijampolė project is completed, the capacity of renewable energy facilities (solar, wind, and batteries) in Lithuania will reach 150 MW, and over 1 GW across the Baltic region,” Kieras explains.

Lithuania’s National Energy Independence Strategy aims to install 4.1 GW of solar energy capacity by 2030.

In 2023, RNDV group of companies revenue grew by 39%, reaching €105.4 million, while the total number of employees increased by 23%, from 1,300 to 1,600. The RNDV’s primary operations are concentrated in Western Europe, focusing on electrical installation in ships, data centers, shipbuilding and repair, electromechanical projects, scaffolding and technical insulation, and renewable energy projects. In the Lithuanian market, RNDV’s core activities are general construction projects, which saw a revenue increase from €11.3 million to €20 million in 2023.

RNDV Reports 2023 Results: Comprehensive Growth and Long-Term Value Projects

About us Mar 07, 2024

Both Team and Income Growth

Teamwork is one of our main values, and in 2023 we strategically worked towards it. During the last year, RNDV welcomed 300 new colleagues in total – from production and administration employees to project managers of various fields as well as other specialists. Today, our team has a total of 1,600 employees from 23 different countries.

Moreover, in 2023, there was a successful income growth of the whole RNDV. Compared to 2022, income increased by as much as 39% – from EUR 76 million to EUR 105.4 million. Most importantly, we had a systematic income increase in the entire RNDV group.

Counting nine years of operational experience in this field, in 2023 we grew rapidly while implementing general construction contracting projects in Lithuania. Compared to 2022 results, last year’s income in this RNDV activity grew almost twice – from EUR 11.3 million to EUR 20 million. The newly opened general construction contracting unit of RNDV in Vilnius as well as industrial construction and residential construction projects of various scales contributed strongly to this growth.

Successful Year for All RNDV activities

Last year was also fruitful in shipbuilding and ship repair. We developed long-term value electrical installation projects in Europe’s largest shipyards, successfully completed electrical installation works of a 146m mega yacht as well as completed works in four out of five ships in a long-standing military corvette project.

Furthermore, production also doubled last year: we processed 50,150 tons of metal production and participated in the construction works of as many as 18 ship hulls. We also managed to start new activities on the ships: installation and insulation of pipelines as well as painting of metal structures.

Civil and industrial construction projects came to be also very significant last year – the segment of technical insulation and cladding as well as scaffolding insulation grew by as much as 24%. The team insulated 120,000m of pipelines and 55,000m2 of floor space, assembled and dismantled over two million m3 of scaffolding.

In 2023, we paid great attention to the strategically important area of RNDV – renewable energy. The results of the projects we implemented only prove the potential of this field. Last year, our team executed one outstanding offshore project in the area of wind power – in Germany, in the North Sea, the team carried out work on a wind farm platform, which included the installation of tracks, laying the cables, closing the transitions and modifying LAN systems. Solar power projects also stand out in last year’s activities. The total capacity of the installed power plants became eight times higher than in 2022 and reached as much as 80MW. For 2024, we have even bigger ambitions – we will aim at increasing this number to 160MW. The main focus of renewable energy projects – Lithuania, Germany and France regions.

Attention to Employee Education and Work Quality

Each year, we dedicate time to quality of work as well as safety and well-being of our employees. Last year, in total 750 employees completed various training programs and so expanded their professional knowledge, whereas 561 employees completed testing and qualification evaluation. Moreover, we allocated an 85% higher investment into expanding professional knowledge of our administration employees.

RNDV is also able to ensure the highest quality of work by globally recognized certificates. Among them – integrated management system (ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001) and other international certificates confirming environment safety and quality of work (VCA, VCU, SSVA, ISO 3834-2, DIN 2303). The whole RNDV group carries out activities and implements different scale projects on the basis of these certificates, so that we could guarantee professionalism and reliability for our partners, as well as successfully make business together leading to victories.

We signed a contract with “LIDL Lietuva” to develop a 1.60 MW solar power plant project

About us Feb 06, 2024

Two things you can never have too much of:

1. Sun, and the benefits provided by solar power plants;

2. Projects with strong, sustainable, and responsible partners.

Today, we are especially thrilled about the latter. We signed a contract with “LIDL Lietuva” to develop a project with a 1.60 MW solar power plant. In this project, RNDV will be responsible for full-scale work, from design and installation to long-term maintenance of the solar power park. This project will be installed on the new “LIDL Lietuva” Logistics Center, currently under construction in Vilnius, near Lentvaris.

As Aurimas Budrys, Head of Production at RNDV, responsible for solar energy projects, stated, the tender process was smooth, and the fact that RNDV had already worked with the customer in the past contributed to the positive result. “We felt that professionalism, detail, experience, and understanding of the client’s expectations were especially valued in the competition. We were able to strengthen all arguments, both with a strong team and with already implemented projects. The ‘know-how’ of project management accumulated over many years allows us to ensure peace of mind for our clients when projects are implemented on time and according to the plan,” – shared A. Budrys.

LIDL ranked as the most sustainable brand in Lithuania for the fourth year in a row, pays great attention to sustainability, energy savings, renewable energy sources, and reducing environmental impact. Since 2016, Lidl Lietuva has been only buying electricity from renewable energy sources and expanding its network of solar power plants.

This makes for a great collaboration, as RNDV currently builds solar power plant projects in Lithuania, France, Germany, and other European Union countries.

Project Manager Mantas: the course is set – the way I achieve it is up to me

About us Dec 01, 2023

My journey at RNDV Group started in January 2020. I began as a Project Coordinator and had the opportunity to get a deeper insight into the project components, grasp the feel of the project management processes & the work involved and get to know the people who work not only in the office but also in these projects.

Facing the challenges of the pandemic together

Who said it would always be easy? When I joined the company, the Covid-19 pandemic began. It brought many questions and risks that we had to manage. How will we continue? How will we maintain our staff? Will our projects be suspended? However, this period was not only about the pandemic; it was a test for the whole company. In such cases, you realise the power of teamwork, so we pulled together and got through it.

And although it may seem like I joined the team at the wrong time, I never felt thrown into a project management whirlwind and left alone. Instead, I was surrounded each time by supportive colleagues who advised me on how to perform tasks or solve problems better and more efficiently.

The freedom to work toward a goal

I grew out of my Project Coordinator’s role relatively quickly and was invited by the Production Manager to become an Electromechanical Project Manager. This position brought even more opportunities & flexibility. While the course is set, the way of its implementation largely depends on me. It’s truly fascinating to completely own the project: from the essentials of choosing the people & setting the budget to managing the project to its completion. I’m currently working on projects all over Scandinavia and France.

What could new RNDV colleagues expect?

One of my professional priorities at work is to have opportunities and space to develop. Coming here, that’s exactly what I’ve found. At RNDV, you can gain knowledge and experience from highly competent colleagues and receive in-house training while also travelling, visiting different projects and meeting interesting people.

I wish myself and my new colleagues the confidence to pursue our goals and not be afraid of difficulties because they toughen and strengthen us.

Electromechanical Project Manager Mantas Freitakas

Project Manager Vytautas: courageous solutions and electromechanics

About us Oct 10, 2023

Back

I always wanted to apply my skills and thrive in a well-organized Lithuanian capital company featuring smooth business processes and superb communication. RNDV Group has matched all the requirements, and here I am – a happy Project Manager in the electromechanics field.

Since beginning my journey in the company, I’ve successfully implemented numerous electromechanics projects in different European countries. Whenever I visit the project site, I listen to each colleague, discuss the potential challenges, and find ways to efficiently solve them or simply take time to enjoy the ongoing project. I firmly believe that the overall team’s results depend on the ability to define each specialist’s competencies and perform only those tasks that best match your skill portfolio without taking on other people’s work. I can’t stand routine and am a constant learner, allowing me to grow in both my professional and personal spheres. So today, I’m eager to take full responsibility for my work and strive to solve any arising problems immediately.

We’ve recently finished a project in Spain where we had an incredibly coordinated 85-person team working on high-level processes and tasks with the utmost precision, quality, safety requirements, and strict time frames. Closely observing my colleagues’ work, I always try to help us grow as individuals and as a collective.

I am delighted to work at RNDV Group, as I can plan, create and manage large-scale projects, communicate with a wide array of personalities and do my part in communicational improvements – this is where I find joy. Also, my position covers a lovely composition of freedom and responsibility, and I am a genuine fan of this balance.

If you wish to start your journey with RNDV Group, I encourage you to have the determination to reach for it!

Dmitrij Kiričenko: I showed up and created a new company

About us Jul 27, 2023

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“Upon joining RNDV Group, I got an important role in developing a new shipbuilding subdivision, specifying in the hull assembly. Then, I couldn’t have imagined the growth pace of this branch and that it will so quickly become an independent unit and a new player in the market.”

The hull world was not new for Dmitrij Kiričenko, RNDV Ferrum CEO. Upon joining the RNDV team, he already had 12 years of experience in this field. In his career, he initially started as a welding engineer, and soon after, he became a production supervisor and project manager. As far as he remembers himself, his interest in ships began in his childhood when Dmitrij observed his grandfather working in a ship repair shop.

Even though Dmitrij’s calendar is quite busy nowadays, he found some time to sit down with a cup of coffee and have an open conversation about his exciting journey of bringing a new company to life.

Let’s start from the beginning. How did the shipbuilding branch come to life?

When I joined the RNDV Group team approximately three years ago, the company was already well-known in the ship construction market as a reliable subcontractor for top-quality electrical installation & piping works. So, it’s only natural for the company to look for expansion opportunities. That’s when the idea to create a shipbuilding branch emerged.

With me joining the company, the big planning stage has begun. First, we needed to do many calculations and market analyses until we felt ready and were assured of our decision to start operating.

How could you describe the team formation process? What was the main success factor in this area?

It took four months from the decision to start this branch to employing the first person. Currently, our team consists of approximately 200 top-class specialists. I believe this is an extraordinary achievement for one year period. However, when planning growth and evaluating success, it’s essential to consider the overall quality of the processes in addition to numbers.

A well-structured team is a central pillar in this activity – even the competitive advantage. Thus, we involved all employees in its formation. Many new colleagues joined us because of recommendations from existing employees.

Another success factor that allowed us to build a professional team is the inner RNDV culture. This company takes an interest not only in the employees’ direct functions but equally, cares for their personalities, free time activities and further career potential within the company.

How did the critical transformation from the branch to an independently operating RNDV Ferrum company occur? Please share how you view the company’s future perspectives.

RNDV Group is a highly ambitious company concurrently developing numerous areas of activity, which are often interconnected. Shipbuilding was a unique, specific, and fast-growing sector; thus, it was decided to separate our branch as it would allow us to implement new ideas and move forward easier. I am happy to be trusted to become the new company’s managing director and a flagman of this sector in the RNDV company group.

Currently, we are developing four main areas: ship hull assembly, ship repair works, piping, and offshore construction assembly. We operate in France, Germany, and Denmark and have further expansion plans into other countries. We prepare for upcoming projects with the utmost precision for the growth to be smooth; thus, the team is expanding each day.

The first independent RNDV Ferrum projects will start this year. Also, we must finish a few projects started by RNDV Group. According to the plan, most people will be employed in the new company until the end of this year.

What would you wish for your RNDV Ferrum team?

I wish my team to stay ambitious in seeking their goals and never stop striving for more!

I am always impressed observing their work and am happy to call us a real power team, able to help each other in difficult moments. We even chose the company name together. Team members offered their ideas, and by voting, we decided to select the RNDV Ferrum title, perfectly matching our niche – works with metal.