Baltic states withdraw from Russian power grid
A long-prepared and technically complicated step took place without a hitch on the weekend: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania severed their last remaining connection with the post-Soviet electricity system, known as the Brell ring, on Saturday, and synchronised their electricity grids with the rest of Europe. Commentators hail the switch as a historic step but also point to the challenges it poses.
A historic turning point
For Pierre Haski in France Inter, the step is an important sign of sovereignty:
“By connecting to the European grid, the three Baltic states are completing the historic turnaround they began when they were able to turn their backs on the Soviet Union and then Russia. Faced with a former big brother Russia that has once again become a threat, Ukraine and tiny Moldova have also aligned their energy supply networks with the EU. Without attracting much attention, this Europe is gradually expanding and integrating: this is one of the consequences of Putin's fateful decision to invade Ukraine, and a bitter loss for Russia.”
Testimony to European solidarity and unity
Commenting in Rzeczpospolita, energy experts Maciej Jakubik and Susanne Nies see two positive aspects to the move:
“The road to synchronisation [with the European electrical grid] has been long and challenging, but the benefits are significant. This is a historic step towards energy security and independence, and will enable the Baltic states to develop free from external manipulation. It also reinforces the broader vision of a secure, interconnected and resilient European energy market, and demonstrates the strength of European unity and solidarity.”
Costly step for now
The initial effects of the switch are negative for the Latvians, notes Neatkarīgā:
“Now that the Baltic and Polish electricity transmission systems have been connected without incident, what was a cause for celebration yesterday is part of daily life. This is reflected in notifications such as this one from a Latvian electricity provider, which reads: 'We have recalculated your advance payments. From February you will pay 22.06 euros per month'. In January it was 17.68 euros. .. In short: since Sunday another factor has been increasing electricity prices in Latvia, while the only price-reducing factors are in the form of promises for the future.”
Fortunately forced
Lithuania is restructuring its whole energy production concept at the same time, IQ points out:
“The biggest challenge still lies ahead: to turn Lithuania from an electricity importer into a powerful energy producer for the region by creating structures to export surplus electricity generated from renewable sources. ... Until recently this sounded utopian for a country that lacks fossil fuel resources. But the war in Ukraine was perhaps the push we needed to finally make bold decisions – and, more importantly, to move consistently towards them. In Lithuania the share of renewables in our energy mix is growing rapidly. ... In 2023, around 50 percent of the country's electricity was already generated domestically, and the share of solar and wind power plants in the energy mix continues to grow.”
Still too dependent on others
Eesti Päevaleht welcomes the move but calls for further action:
“Switching the power grid is only part of the solution to Estonia's biggest energy problem. We still have too little capacity, high prices and Estlink 2 is kaputt. ... We can only relax once we know we can cover Estonia's growing energy needs ourselves if necessary, and not just on windy days. What's more, our energy prices must be competitive with those in the Nordic countries – on 12 February, for example, the average electricity exchange price in Estonia is four and a half times higher than that in Finland. And thirdly, of course, our external connections must be functional and sufficiently powerful – and able to withstand the anchors of the Russian shadow fleet.”
Eliminating Moscow as a risk factor
Gazeta Wyborcza explains why the step is necessary:
“For the time being, the Baltic states' electricity grids are part of a system created during the Soviet era, now managed from Russia. This entails geopolitical and energy policy risks for the Baltic states. ... Variations in the current frequency usually result in flickering light bulbs. But there are more serious problems, such as the slowing down or overheating of electrical devices. The Baltic states are also vulnerable to the effects of potential defects in the Russian grid. And long before the attack on Ukraine, Moscow was in no hurry to rectify failures in the power connections with the Baltic states.”
Kaliningrad now an energy island
LA.LV supports the move:
“Yes, there are concerns that the change in synchronisation could lead to power cuts and higher costs for transmission services. But what have we not been threatened with since our decision to leave the Soviet Union and join the Western community! ... Even more painful for Russia is the fact that it is because of the Russian war against Ukraine and the threat to other neighbouring states that the Baltic states have decided to cut themselves off completely from the Kaliningrad region's electricity system. ... As a result, that region is now in a state of energy isolation. Like an island that has to cope with variations in frequency, electricity shortages and surpluses all on its own.”
Throwing off the last shackles
Energy expert Valdemar Fiodorovič is reassuring in IQ:
“This is a historic moment for Lithuania and the other Baltic states: the decoupling from the post-Soviet Brell energy ring. ... Rumours are circulating - also fuelled by hostile forces - that the move could lead to massive power cuts or a drastic rise in prices. But for most consumers little will change. ... For years, the Brell grid was a kind of umbilical cord that Russia used for energy blackmailing - similar to what it did with oil and gas supplies. While dependence on the latter resources has already been overcome, the electricity link remained one of the last shackles preventing Lithuania from taking full control of its own energy system.”
A major, but hopefully inconspicuous step
Kalle Kilk, CEO of the state-owned power company Elering, explains in Maaleht:
“If everything goes according to plan no one will notice, but in terms of importance this step is comparable to the introduction of the crown [which replaced the rouble in 1992 and was then replaced by the euro in 2011] or EU accession. With this long-prepared step we are reducing geopolitical risks and making ourselves completely independent of Russia, which still has a certain influence over our electricity grid and market. ... For decades now we've been preparing to leave the Russian power grid, more intensely since 2018-2019. We have made significant investments to strengthen our electricity grid, including hundreds of millions of euros in EU funding.”