The Baltic trio of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Saturday successfully disconnected from an energy system shared with Russia and Belarus for years and are now expected to sync with the European network.
The BRELL (Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) system was created after the dissolution of the Soviet Union to ensure a stable electricity supply to its former parts.
As sovereign states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all now members of the European Union, started implementing a pro-European course, gradually distancing from Russia and Belarus and abandoning all uniting projects, including the energy system. This trend strengthened after the deterioration of ties between Russia and the West.
In 2018, the three Baltic countries signed an agreement with the European Commission to synchronize their power grids with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
The reorientation for the European power grids will take place in two stages. On Saturday, the Baltic countries are set to disconnect from Russia and Belarus and operate in isolation for 24 hours. If no issues arise, they will be integrated into the European network on Sunday.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the Baltic countries had chosen this path themselves, adding that the technical difficulties and possible economic consequences of this step had yet to be assessed.
Some experts point to a possible increase in energy costs for Baltic consumers, with Russia, as a country rich in energy resources, capable of offering lower tariffs.
The disconnection of the Baltic states endangered the energy supply of Russia’s enclave, the Kaliningrad region, which was supplied with electricity through power grids common with Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. However, the authorities built several energy-generating facilities in the short term.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian authorities have said this step will not impact the reliable supply of heat and electricity to consumers inside the country and is purely political.
