Baltic regulators discuss electricity trade with third countries

VILNIUS – Baltic energy regulators have discussed electricity trade with third countries and Lithuania's assessments and proposals, as Vilnius seeks to effectively bar electricity from Belarus' Astravyets nuclear power plant from the Baltic market.

Wednesday's meeting of representatives from the Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian energy regulators in Riga focused on electricity market issues, the establishment of a Baltic regional coordination center and the creation of a common natural gas market, Lithuania's National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) said on Friday.

Lithuania's representatives underlined "the importance of the common goal – to cease power trading with Belarus where the unsafe Astravyets NPP continues to operate, giving priority to electricity trading and generation in the internal EU market and maximum utilization of interconnectors with member states", it said in a press release. 

VERT also presented a report on the reasons for price differences between the Latvian and Lithuanian electricity price zones and provided information on a public consultation on the methodology on cross-zonal capacity calculation and allocation with third countries, drafted by Lithuania's power transmission system operator Litgrid, according to the press release.