Baltic countries to disconnect from Russian power grid and join Europe this weekend

RIGA - This weekend the Baltic states will disconnect from the Russian energy system, the so-called BRELL ring, and connect to the single European energy grid, the Climate and Energy Ministry informed LETA.

The Baltic countries started the synchronization project in 2009, with an initial plan for synchronization in early 2026, but given the increased risks to the Baltic energy system since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic countries, Poland and the European Commission agreed to connect as early as February 2025.

The technical switchover task will be carried out by the Baltic electricity system operators - Augstsprieguma Tikls of Latvia, Litgrid of Lithuania and Elering of Estonia.

Currently, Latvia has one grid connection to Russia, Estonia has three grid connections, Lithuania has three grid connections to Belarus and two grid connections to Russia in Karaliaucius.

On Saturday, February 8, the Baltic states will disconnect from the Russian grid from the south. First Lithuania will disconnect from Russia and Belarus, then Latvia will disconnect from the Russian grid, followed by Estonia.

From Saturday, February 8, until Sunday, February 9, the Baltic states will operate in an isolated electricity system for about 24 hours and will carry out tests on the isolated operation of the electricity transmission system. On Sunday, February 9, the Baltic states will connect to the single electricity grid of continental Europe via the Lithuania-Poland link.

The ministry representatives also stressed that such an isolated test is not unusual and has been carried out in the past.

Climate and Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis (Greens/Farmers) stressed that the synchronization will increase the security of energy supply and strengthen the independence of the Baltic region.

The ministry representatives pointed out that to strengthen the security and stability of the infrastructure during the transition phase of this event, Latvia is reinforcing its monitoring of the Baltic energy infrastructure. The National Armed Forces support both the State Police and the holders of critical infrastructure to ensure security measures.

The ministry also states that the capacity of the natural gas supply system is sufficient to cover the increased demand for natural gas. The Baltic states have sufficient domestic electricity generation capacity and other external connections such as Estlink-1, NordBalt, LitPolink. The forecast confirms the sufficiency of capacity in Latvia and in the Baltic region as a whole. The failure of Estlink-2 on December 25, 2024, does not pose any security of supply risks, either.

The ministry said that the synchronization will contribute to better European Union (EU) transmission system connectivity and market integration, allowing the Baltic electricity systems to operate under common and transparent European rules, benefiting all consumers.

The ministry also mentioned that the Baltic countries have not been buying electricity from Russia and Belarus since 2022 and synchronization will have no direct impact on security of supply and a minimal impact on market prices.

The ministry stressed that synchronization is a major event that requires careful, systematic preparation at several levels - physical infrastructure readiness, development of IT systems by transmission operators, regional cooperation and coordinated action by stakeholders at national level.

The ministry's information material for households points out that while no blackout is expected when connecting to the European grid, temporary technical incidents cannot be ruled out even under ideal conditions.

Synchronization involves a technically complex process, so for safety reasons, citizens are urged to prepare as they would if adverse weather conditions were forecast: charge mobile phones, computers and other devices, and switch off devices they do not use on a daily basis. For advice on what to do in the event of a temporary power outage, visit the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) website. By downloading the 112 Latvija app on your mobile phone, you can receive timely notifications on the preferred course of action in various situations.

The ministry stressed the need to be critical of loud and emotional statements and urged the use of reliable sources of information - the ministry's website kem.gov.lv and the Augstsprieguma Tikls website ast.lv.

In the event of deliberate, malicious interference by third parties in the operation of the energy infrastructure during the synchronization process, the decision on further action will be taken at the level of the Baltic governments.