Baltic Nations Set to Decouple from Soviet-Era Power Grid

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will disconnect from the Soviet-era BRELL power grid with Russia and Belarus in February 2025. This move aligns their power systems with the European Union. The EU supported the transition with a 1.2 billion euro investment. Synchronization with continental Europe will occur through a link with Poland.

The power grid operators of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have signed an agreement to disconnect from the Soviet-era BRELL power grid with Russia and Belarus in February 2025. Currently, the three Baltic countries rely on Russian operators for frequency control and grid balancing.

"We are leaving BRELL... In February, the Baltics will jointly test isolated work (of power grids) and decouple," Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys announced on Facebook on Tuesday. Kreivys emphasized that, much like their integration into the European Union and NATO, the Baltics are set to become part of the European power system.

After nearly a decade of negotiations, the Baltic countries signed an agreement in 2018 to connect their power grids to the EU by 2025. The EU has committed a total of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to facilitate this transition, covering about three-quarters of the related costs, Lithuania's power grid operator Litgrid stated. The decoupling is scheduled for February 8, with synchronization to the European grid through a power link with Poland, Litgrid confirmed. ($1 = 0.9179 euros)

(With inputs from agencies.)