Baltic States Achieve Energy Independence from Russia, Fully Integrate into EU Grid

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have successfully completed the integration of their electricity systems into the European Union’s internal energy market, marking a significant step toward energy independence. The three Baltic States are now fully independent from Russia’s and Belarus’s electricity systems, operating under EU’s common and transparent energy rules.

The synchronisation of the Baltic States with the EU grid was a flagship project supported by the European Commission with political, technical, and financial backing over the past 15 years. The project received over €1.23 billion in grants from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, covering 75% of investment costs. Additional investments were provided through the Recovery and Resilience Facility to strengthen electricity infrastructure in Latvia and Lithuania.

The successful synchronisation not only ensures the security of energy supply for the Baltic States but also supports the integration of renewable energy, promising lower energy costs for consumers. The project strengthens energy security in the Eastern Baltic Sea region and across the entire EU, reducing the region’s reliance on Russia.

The historic occasion was marked by the ‘Energy Independence Day’ ceremony in Lithuania, with key EU officials, including President Ursula von der Leyen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, and Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, attending the event alongside political leaders from the Baltic States, Poland, and other stakeholders involved in the project.

Until now, the Baltic States had been the last EU countries still operating within the Russian and Belarusian electricity systems, where energy frequency was centrally controlled by Russia. The synchronisation of their networks with those of the EU Member States enables the region to break free from Russian energy influence and gain full control over its own electricity grid.

“This is freedom,” said President von der Leyen. “Today history is being made as the Baltic States switch on energy independence. The last remaining electricity lines with Russia and Belarus will now be dismantled, marking the end of dependence on hostile neighbours.”

The project, coordinated by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and supported by over 40 investment projects, has been completed 10 months ahead of schedule. Looking ahead, further work continues, including the construction of the 700 MW Harmony Link Interconnector between Lithuania and Poland, scheduled for completion in 2030.

Catharina Sikow-Magny, the European Coordinator for the Baltic Synchronisation projects, will continue to collaborate with EU Member States in the Baltic region to implement the final aspects of the project, which is critical to the completion of the EU’s Energy Union.