In 2019 Latvia will disconnect from Russian power system in test mode
According to Delfi news agency, in 2019, Latvia and the other Baltic countries will be disconnected in a test mode from the Russian and Belarusian power systems. A representative of the state company Augstsprieguma Tikls explained that all the necessary power will have to be provided by the power stations in the Baltics. Additionally, the Baltic countries will need to ensure power grid connections with Sweden, Finland and Poland.
After the three Baltic electric power transmission operators—Litgrid, Augstrprieguma Tikls and Elering—agree on an established plan and the start date, the test terms will be agreed with power market participants, transmission system operators and power producers.
The time and date of desynchronization from the Russian power system will be set up by the Baltic power companies, who will consider the studies of such scenarios and expert recommendations.
The exact amount of funding for the project is not known yet. However, it has been agreed that the cost of integrating the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonia power grids within Europe will be partially covered by European Union.
Augstsprieguma Tikls CEO Varis Broks noted that the volume of power supply from Russia and Belarus has been decreasing each year.
At the end of June, the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Poland, the President of Lithuania and the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, signed a political agreement on the power grids synchronization of the Baltic countries and mainland Europe via Poland and the sea cable. Full synchronization is planned by 2025.