Baltic states to complete decoupling from Russian-controlled power grid by early 2025

The Baltic States' power system operators informed Russia and Belarus that they would disconnect from the Moscow-controlled post-Soviet power grid starting in February 2025, media outlet LRT reported on July 16.

Lithuanian operator Litgrid, Latvian AST, and Estonian Elering informed the Russian and Belarusian operators that they would not extend the BRELL agreement, which expires in February 2025, LRT said.

Under the BRELL agreement, the Baltics have been synchronously connected to the Integrated Power System/United Power System (IPS/UPS) grid with Russia and Belarus since the end of the Soviet period.

The Baltic States' operators plan to join the Continental Europe Synchronous Area with synchronization on Feb. 9, 2025.

The day before, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will disconnect from the Russian system and do a single isolated operation test, according to the AST's press release.

"This is a very important milestone for synchronization, which is the most ambitious energy independence project in the Baltics," Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis said.

"This is the moment when we can point to a specific date on which we will cut the final ties with Russia in the energy sector."

Masiulis added that the operators of the Baltic States already have "no commercial relations" with Russia and Belarus.

All three Baltic electricity systems are already prepared for "emergency synchronization at any moment,"according to Litgrid.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are the only EU countries not yet connected to the continental grid, instead being part of the BRELL system, which comprises the three Baltic states, Russia, and Belarus.

The Baltic nations initially aimed to join the European system by the end of 2025. However, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they advanced the timeline by nearly a year.

The Russian and Belarusian operators' notification is the next step after last week's announcement by the energy ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that they intend to synchronize with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity and disconnect from the Russian grid in 2025.

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The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat