Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia began the process of disconnecting their power systems from the joint grid with Russia and Belarus (BRELL) on the morning of Feb. 8, AFP reported.
Although Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have not purchased electricity from Russia and Belarus for years, they were still part of Russia’s IPS/UPS system, where frequency regulation was centralized in Moscow.
According to a representative of Lithuania’s grid operator Litgrid, Lithuania was the first of the three Baltic states to start the disconnection process at around 6 a.m. Kyiv time, with Latvia and Estonia following a few hours later.
Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis told LRT that the process went according to plan, even slightly ahead of schedule, in coordination with Russian authorities.
The disconnection was carried out in stages: the first transmission line to Russia was switched off, followed by a second 10-15 minutes later, and a third after another similar interval. About half an hour later, the Belarusian line was disconnected, and by 7:43 a.m., Lithuania had fully cut its lines to both Kaliningrad and Belarus.
Following the disconnection, an isolated operation test will be conducted, lasting until Sunday. During this test, operators from the three Baltic states—Litgrid, Latvia’s AST, and Estonia’s Elering—will independently manage system frequency and assess resilience to potential disruptions.
During the isolated operation, electricity will be generated by local power plants.
After the test concludes on Sunday afternoon, the Baltic states will connect to Poland and the wider synchronous zone of continental Europe via the LitPol Link interconnector. The physical dismantling of power lines to Russia and Belarus will begin later.
Baltic grid operators first applied for connection to Europe’s continental power network in 2007.
The desynchronization process, which took nearly 20 years, will be completed once Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania formally notify Russia and Belarus that they will no longer operate within the shared synchronous zone starting from the new annual period on Feb. 8, 2025.
Previously, power transmission system operators from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—Litgrid, Augstsprieguma Tikls (AST), and Elering—signed an agreement on managing the Baltic region’s power system.
This agreement will take effect after the Baltic grids synchronize with continental Europe, scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025.
The disconnection from Russia and Belarus on Feb. 8, 2025, marks a major milestone in the €1.6 billion project, three-quarters of which was funded by the European Union. The preparation for desynchronization spanned nearly two decades.
The Baltic states have not imported electricity from Russia since May 2022.
Ukraine disconnected its power grid from Russia on Feb. 24, 2022. The transition to an isolated mode was initially planned as an experiment but became permanent due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. Just three weeks later, Ukraine joined the ENTSO-E power system, allowing it to begin electricity trade with the European Union.
Thanks to putler and his gangsters in moskovia, mafia land’s ruskie mir is shrinking ever more.