Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will disconnect their electricity grids from the Russian and Belarusian system (BRELL) in February next year, Baltic officials have confirmed.

"The desynchronization process, which has lasted for almost 20 years, will end in early August, when the Baltic states inform Russia and Belarus that they do not want to participate in the new annual period starting next February," Estonian Deputy Foreign Minister Jaanus Uiga told Energy. This was reported to national media on Tuesday.

The Baltic States will join the Continental European Network (UCTE) on 9 February 2025, the day after the disconnection from BRELL. The desynchronisation was previously planned for late 2025.

This transition is not expected to impact electricity consumers.

Disconnecting from the Russian and Belarusian power grid, which is largely controlled by Moscow, was declared a strategic goal by the Baltic prime ministers in 2007. The three countries see dependence on Russia for electricity as a threat to their national security.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the only EU member states that are not currently connected to the UCTE network. These three countries were integrated into the Soviet power grid after they were annexed by the USSR as “constituent republics” during World War II.

In 2018, the Baltic States signed an agreement with the European Commission and Poland that provided funding to upgrade their network infrastructure to join UCTE.

The three countries agreed to use the existing LitPol power line with Poland, as well as a new direct cable under the Baltic Sea. The agreement required the Baltic states to secede from Russia by 2025.

In May 2023, following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic prime ministers agreed to accelerate their exit from BRELL. The total cost of the transition is projected to be €1.6 billion ($1.72 billion), three-quarters of which will be paid for by the EU.

The Kaliningrad region, a Russian exclave between Lithuania and Poland, has prepared for the transition by building new gas-fired power plants.


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