Lithuania's EU commissioner sees 2024 as 'realistic' date for Baltic grid synchronization

  • 2023-04-28
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – The Baltic power grids could be synchronized with the Continental European system in 2024, Lithuania's European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said on Friday, adding that the existing technical problems can and should be solved. 

"I have said in the (European) Commission that we have to ensure that all three Baltic states move as quickly as possible along the synchronization path and that any barriers should be removed, which I think can be done quite easily," Sinkevicius told reporters in Vilnius.  

"I would very much like to see a similar level of mobilization on the part of Latvia and Estonia," the commissioner responsible for environment, oceans and fisheries said.  

"I think it (synchronization in 2024) is realistic. What I see on paper, the problems with procurement, with suppliers – they are all really solvable. This requires political will and hard work," Sinkevicius said. 

"I'd like to believe that all three Baltics states will do so, and this will be yet another string that we will cut and become even more independent," he added. 

Sinkevicius said he expected the European Commission to make every effort to ensure that the Baltic power grids' synchronization is completed soon as possible.

Lithuania aims to complete the power grid synchronization in 2024, but Latvia and Estonia are hesitant to speed up the process.

Under an agreement signed by the Baltic leaders and the Commission in 2018, the three countries are to synchronize their power grids with the Continental European system by the end of 2025. 

Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian authorities responsible for energy say that will decide on accelerated synchronization once the results of the ongoing technical feasibility studies on system adequacy, stability and pricing are presented in late May.