Latvia, Lithuania and Germany agree on concept for sea cable

VILNIUS - The Lithuanian, Latvian and German energy ministers have agreed on the concept for a high-capacity hybrid offshore electricity interconnector between Germany and either Lithuania or Latvia, the Lithuanian Energy Ministry said on Wednesday.

During their meeting in Copenhagen, the ministers also agreed that the three countries' transmission system operators - Litgrid, Augstsprieguma Tikls, and 50Hertz - will jointly submit an application in May to include the project in the European 2026 Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP).

"We have agreed to submit the project application for the TYNDP process, which will put this initiative on the European map as a concrete energy infrastructure project, while the TYNDP process will help find a technically and economically optimal regional solution," Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said in a press release.

According to the ministry, the project concept calls for a 600-kilometer, 2-gigawatt (GW) hybrid offshore interconnector between the Baltic states and Germany.

"The connection point in the Baltic states could be located on the Lithuanian or Latvian border - the exact location would be determined after detailed technical studies," it said, adding that the project could be completed by 2035-2037.

The ministry said the interconnector would increase the reliability of electricity supply in Lithuania, Latvia and Germany, and open up opportunities for the Baltic countries to develop offshore and onshore solar and wind energy projects.

It noted that the link with Germany is a priority in the current government's program.

In addition to the LitPol Link onshore electricity link between Lithuania and Poland, used for February's synchronization with the Continental European system, the Baltic countries are connected to Northern Europe through the NordBalt sea link between Lithuania and Sweden, and the EstLink 1 and EstLink 2 submarine power cables between Estonia and Finland.

Another onshore cable between Lithuania and Poland, the Harmony Link, is scheduled to be built by 2030 and will be used for electricity trade.

Baiba Jakobsone, a representative of the Latvian Climate and Energy Ministry, told LETA that Latvia has joined the initiative of Germany and Lithuania on the possible development of a new electricity interconnection, supporting the inclusion of this project in the European Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP).

The ministry underlined that the main objective now is to be able to carry out a detailed study on the feasibility and viability of this potential project. The inclusion in the TYNDP is a prerequisite for further eligibility for the so-called Project of Common Interest (PCI) status and for EU co-funding for research.

Jakobsone explained that the way forward involves a structured approach - modelling, cost-benefit analysis and evaluation of other aspects. Only after these studies have been carried out it will be possible to take an informed decision on the further development of the project.