Despite this month’s jubilations, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia’s break with the Russian electricity grid is bittersweet (Report, February 8).
The Baltic states’ desynchronisation from the Russian grid is strategically important for Europe’s energy independence, but it is far from the whole story. It also comes with massive costs attached.
Synchronisation with the EU grid has required billions in investment. A plan to connect the Lithuanian and Polish grids alone by 2030 is costing €923mn. The Baltics may also be exposed to blackouts and supply disruption because they have lost the stability services that came from the ex-Soviet grid. To avoid this, they now need to install “synchronous condensers”, a costly, century-old technology that keeps the frequency stable but does not generate power.
This raises the broader question: is Europe modernising its grids in the most cost effective and sustainable way? Instead of just building new interconnections, it could make better use of its existing infrastructure by investing in smart grid technology, like advanced power flow control and voltage regulation for frequency stability.
This would cut costs, improve grid stability, accelerate the uptake of renewables and keep Europe safer from Russian interference.
Paul Domjan
Former Energy Security Adviser to the Nato Commander/US European Commander; Chief Policy and Global Affairs Officer and Founder, Enoda, Edinburgh, UK