The Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian electricity transmission system operators have signed an agreement to finish the synchronisation of the Baltic sates’ electricity grids with Western Europe in early 2025.
According to the agreement between Litgrid, AST and Elering, the grids will be disconnected from the Russian-controlled BRELL system and connected to the continental European grid in February 2025.
The agreement also stipulates that the Baltic countries will jointly withdraw from the BRELL contract with Russian and Belarusian operators in the summer of 2024, half a year before synchronisation.
“Together with our partners, we have agreed on specific actions and dates for disconnecting from the Russian system and joining the Continental European Synchronous Zone. For the first time, the operators of the three countries jointly assumed clear obligations to perform synchronisation at the agreed time – February 2025,” Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Litgrid, said in the company’s statement.
The necessary work, such as installing the first synchronous condensers, control systems and reconstructing the third line between Estonia and Latvia, will be completed by the agreed date. Other related projects will be implemented by Baltic TSOs by the end of 2025 or later.
Under the 2018 agreement signed between the Baltic leaders and the European Commission, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia must synchronise their grids with continental European power networks by the end of 2025.
Lithuania was seeking to speed up the process and complete it by the first half of 2024, but Latvia and Estonia objected.
Speaking with BNS earlier, AST and Elering said the beginning of 2025 was the earliest possible and most technically and economically feasible date for the synchronisation.
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