Posted on 02/06/2025 6:48:33 AM PST by Cronos
This weekend, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will take a historic step and disconnect from the Russian and even post-Soviet power system controlled by Moscow. They will join the Western European grid. Preparations for this process have been underway for 15 years.
- We are prepared for all scenarios . Our societies can be calm, everything is under control - assured Lithuanian Minister Žigimantas Vaicziunas at the end of January after a meeting in which the deputy head of the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment, Krzysztof Bolesta, also participated.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are facing a historic moment of disconnection from the Moscow-controlled energy system on Saturday (February 8). The Baltic countries' systems will be synchronised with Western European networks a day later.
The Lithuanian Energy Ministry recently stressed that "Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have sufficient capacity and external connections, such as EstLink-1 (with Finland), NordBalt (with Sweden) and LitPolink (with Poland) , to connect their systems with Europe."
"Solar and wind projects connected to the Baltic system have increased generating capacity in recent years," it was assured in a document quoted by the BNS agency (The Baltic News Service).
Electricity prices in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, Lithuanian Minister of Energy, assured that separating Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from the BRELL system, in which they have been since Soviet times, together with Russia and Belarus, will not affect electricity prices, writes "Rzeczpospolita".
- For over a year, we have not purchased electricity from either Russia or Belarus. This means that synchronization with European networks will not have a negative impact on the electricity market. The impact of synchronization on electricity prices is absolutely minimal or practically zero - he noted.
Poland's role in the synchronization process The separation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from the post-Soviet IPS/UPS system and synchronization with the Continental Europe Synchronous Area (CESA) is scheduled for midnight on February 7–8, 2025.
At this point, among other things, the physical disconnection of seven existing power connections with the IPS/UPS area is to occur. At the same time, the current direct current LitPol Link connection between Ełk and Lithuanian Alytus will start operating as a synchronous line, the only such connection of CESA with the Baltic countries. This is a double-track line with a voltage of 400 kV.
In addition to LitPol Link, the Baltic countries have three more submarine connections: NordBalt connecting Klaipėda in Lithuania with Nybro in Sweden with a capacity of 700 MW, and two Estonia-Finland cables: EstLink-1 with a capacity of 358 MW and EstLink-2 with a capacity of 658 MW.
The Baltic countries are fully prepared to disconnect from the BRELL system, which connects Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with Russian and Belarusian power grids, said Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics after meeting with Prime Minister Evika Silina on Wednesday, February 5. The disconnection will take place on February 8-9. The Latvian leader stressed that although everything is prepared, he does not rule out provocations.
Rinkevics noted that Latvian and foreign security agencies, as well as Latvian authorities and all companies responsible for electricity supplies, are on standby. "I understand the concern, but I also understand that this is the most important thing for strengthening our security and independence after the withdrawal from Russian and Belarusian gas and oil. It is also important that our independence is strengthened in the field of electricity," Rinkevics said.
– Although we can still expect disinformation campaigns that happen from time to time and we can also expect other unpleasant and perhaps provocative moves, overall I think that what we are doing, that we are strengthening our energy independence and connecting to the European Union electricity grid, is very important, the Latvian president said.
The Prime Minister of Latvia confirmed that all responsible services are working in a reinforced mode, and the National Armed Forces and the National Guard are involved in this process to prevent a possible hybrid threat to the synchronization of power grids. "Of course there is a risk, we understand it perfectly well. But the risk has been identified and there is a contingency plan in case it materializes," Silina concluded.
Good luck with that solar and wind.
Russia seriously thinks it owns these little countries. Anything they can do to break free of Russian influence is a good thing.
Can you trust the Germans?
Electricity production in Estonia is largely dependent on fossil fuels. In 2007, more than 90% of power was generated from oil shale. There are two submarine power cables from Finland, with combined rated power of 1000 MW.
The electricity sector in Finland relies on nuclear power,
most of Poland’s electricity is from coal.
you do realize that there are other European countries besides the UK and France, right?
they are more reliant on Finland and a backup via Poland
Thanks
LOL, the jokes on you clowns.
They’ll be back.
A defiant move but maybe one that isn’t practical in the long run.
You can’t fix stupid.
But you can switch it to wind and solar.
Hydrogen! That’s it. Hydrogen!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.