Baltic energy ministers agree on creation of joint power system reserves

RIGA - On Wednesday, the energy ministers of the Baltic states agreed to strengthen overall energy security in the Baltic states by creating joint power system reserves, which will allow for a more rapid restoration of power supply to residents and businesses in the event of various threats or disruptions, representatives of the Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM) told LETA.

Latvia’s Minister of Climate and Energy, Janis Vitenbergs (National Alliance), Estonian Minister of Energy and the Environment Andres Sutt, and Lithuanian Minister of Energy Lukas Savickas signed a joint declaration on Wednesday during a meeting regarding the creation of Baltic power system reserves.

The ministers of the Baltic states emphasized that the Baltic states have demonstrated their ability to wean themselves off Russian energy resources and successfully synchronize with the European power grid. At the same time, the Baltic region is facing new security challenges, which require the Baltic states to take unified action and cooperate more closely in strengthening critical infrastructure and restoring power supply more quickly in the event of power grid failures.

"Following the Baltic states’ synchronization with the European power grid, our responsibility for energy security has grown even greater. The region’s security is only as strong as its weakest link. That is why today we are taking a practical step to turn political agreement into concrete action," said Vitenbergs, adding that the creation of energy system reserves in the Baltic states will be a unique example of Baltic cooperation and a new model of energy security in Europe that can serve as a model for other countries as well.

Sutt noted that the Baltic states have demonstrated that the most effective way to strengthen the security of energy supply is through cooperation. A joint power system emergency reserve mechanism will ensure that the necessary reserve equipment is available in the region and can be deployed quickly in the event of a serious accident or infrastructure damage. This will make the Baltic power system more resilient and, if necessary, allow it to be restored much more quickly.

Savickas noted that geopolitical tensions and the increasing frequency of natural disasters caused by climate change are posing ever-greater challenges to energy infrastructure. The creation of joint reserves and an agreement to coordinate the Baltic states’ actions in emergency situations will help ensure a more reliable energy supply for residents, while joint solutions will make it possible to strengthen the security of energy infrastructure more effectively and at a lower cost.

In accordance with the declaration, the transmission system operators of the Baltic states will jointly identify the reserve equipment needed to ensure the fastest possible restoration of power supply in the Baltic states in the event of various threats or damage. Backup equipment includes transformers, towers, generators, and other reserves.

Based on this joint assessment, transmission system operators will be able to prepare a joint application for European Union (EU) funding, such as the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), for the purchase and maintenance of the necessary reserve equipment on a Baltic-wide scale. Securing CEF funding will significantly reduce the financial burden of these investments on electricity consumers.

During the meeting, the ministers also discussed cooperation and coordination among the Baltic countries’ transmission system operators in emergency situations. The recently concluded agreement between the Latvian and Lithuanian transmission system operators on mutual assistance in emergency situations was welcomed, which complements the previously signed memorandum of cooperation between Latvia and Estonia. Based on this agreement, the Baltic countries’ electricity transmission system operators will continue to develop a practical model for mutual assistance to ensure a more rapid restoration of electricity supply, for example, following storm damage.

During the meeting, the Baltic ministers also discussed the risks of hybrid threats in the Baltic region and possible solutions. The ministers agreed that the risks posed by unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have become a new security reality. Therefore, the accelerated implementation of anti-drone defense solutions is no longer an additional security measure-it is an integral part of critical infrastructure protection at the regional level.

Regarding hybrid threats, Vitenbergs briefed the Estonian and Lithuanian ministers on the approach implemented in Latvia to strengthen the protection of critical energy infrastructure against threats posed by aircraft. Work is underway in Latvia to develop a coordinated approach for implementing anti-drone solutions in critical energy infrastructure, which would involve the development of uniform technical requirements, technological interoperability, a coordinated procurement approach, and closer cooperation between critical infrastructure operators and government agencies. The goal of this approach is to ensure unified situational awareness and more effective cooperation between energy infrastructure operators and national security agencies.

Taking into account Estonia’s initiative at the EU Energy Council to accelerate the phase-out of Russian energy resources-which was also supported by Latvia and Lithuania-the ministers emphasized that the EU must continue to maintain a consistent policy of gradually ending its dependence on Russian energy resources.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic states halted physical imports of Russian natural gas even before the EU adopted regulations on the phase-out of Russian natural gas imports.