Baltic states in ‘final phase of work’ to desynchronise electricity grids from Moscow

Twenty years after Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined the EU, their electricity grids remain synchronised with Russian and Belarusian grids, which means that electricity in all the countries has the matching frequency and can readily flow across borders. The Baltic states have long planned to instead synchronise their power systems with the EU’s grid, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 made this an even more pressing issue.

Synchronisation with the EU grid is planned via the existing transmission line between Lithuania and Poland (LitPol Link) and a future submarine cable between the two countries. Technical equipment must also be deployed, to guarantee the overall stability and security of the electricity system.

However, Estonia and Latvia require more time, and Lithuanian authorities have agreed to wait until all three countries are ready before achieving full synchronisation with the European grid. In March 2022, the Ukrainian and Moldovan grids were synchronised with the European power system. While the ’emergency synchronisation’ could be completed rapidly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the move was based on preparatory technical work which began in 2017.

Source: Euractiv