VILNIUS – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have signed an agreement to decouple from the Soviet-era BRELL power grid, which includes Russia and Belarus, effective February 2025.
Currently, the three Baltic nations depend on Russian operators to control frequencies and balance their power grid. However, Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys announced on Facebook that the Baltics will jointly test isolated grid operations in February, leading to their eventual decoupling.
“We are leaving BRELL… In February, the Baltics will jointly test isolated work (of power grids) and decouple,” Kreivys stated. He emphasized the goal of fully integrating into the European power system, mirroring their memberships in the European Union and NATO.
After nearly a decade of negotiations, the Baltic states agreed in 2018 to synchronize their power grids with the EU by 2025. The European Union has committed 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to support the region’s preparation for this transition, covering about three-fourths of the costs, according to Lithuania’s power grid operator Litgrid.
The decoupling is set for February 8, 2025, when the Baltic states will synchronize their grid frequencies with continental Europe via a power link with Poland, as per Litgrid’s statement. This move marks a significant step towards energy independence from Russia and deeper integration with the European energy network.