Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have successfully disconnected from Russia’s and Belarus’s electricity systems, fully integrating into the EU’s internal energy market via Poland. This allows the Baltic States to operate their own energy systems under common and transparent European rules. Plans for the move, in the works since 2007, were seen as essential for European security and had been brought forward after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It will also support the integration of renewable energy in the system, ultimately allowing consumers to benefit from lower energy costs.

The synchronisation of the Baltic electricity networks with the EU grid is a flagship project that has received unprecedented political, technical, and financial support from the European Commission over the past 15 years. In total, around 1.6 billion euros was invested in the project to transfer the three nations onto the EU's grid, with the funds largely provided by the EU. This includes over €1.23 billion in grants from the EU's Connecting Europe Facility, covering 75% of the investment costs, as well as further investments financed under the Recovery and Resilience Facility in Latvia and Lithuania to strengthen electricity infrastructure.

The achievement was marked at the ‘Energy Independence Day’ ceremony in Lithuania on February 9, attended by President Ursula von der Leyen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen, and Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, alongside political leaders from the Baltic States, Poland, and other key stakeholders.

President von der Leyen shared: “Today history is being made: the Baltic States are switching on energy independence. The last electricity grids in Europe still linked to Russia are now fully integrated into Europe's internal energy market, with the support of over 1 billion euros of European funding over the years. The last remaining electricity lines with Russia and Belarus will now be dismantled. These chains of power lines, linking the Baltic states to hostile neighbours will be a thing of the past. This is freedom. Freedom from threats and blackmail. Congratulations on the start of this new era.” 

The Baltic States were the last three EU Member States whose electricity networks were still operating fully within the Russian and Belarussian system. The electricity frequency was centrally controlled by Russia, leaving them vulnerable to Russia's weaponisation of energy. Although they have not purchased electricity from Russia since 2022, their connection to the grid left them dependent on Moscow for energy flow. Synchronising with EU networks now grants the Baltic States full control over their electricity systems, significantly strengthening energy security in the Eastern Baltic Sea region and across the EU.

The success of this EU-backed project shows the dedication of all EU Member States involved, especially the three Baltic States and Poland, together with the businesses, investors and transmission system operators, who collectively delivered the project 10 months ahead of schedule.

Looking ahead, European Coordinator for the Baltic Synchronisation Project, Catharina Sikow-Magny, will continue working closely with EU Member States in the region to implement the remaining aspects of the initiative in order to complete the Energy Union.

This project serves as a prime example of how EU funding makes possible infrastructure initiatives that enhance security, sustainability, and economic resilience. Keep an eye on our website and LinkedIn pages to stay up to date with the latest news on EU funding initiatives.