Lithuania is seeking to decouple the Baltic states from Russia’s power grid by early 2024 -- up from a previous target of the end of 2025, the chief of Lithuania’s power grid operator said.
Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis on July 13 said that discussions with Estonia and Latvia on the matter have started and that the European Commission was also involved.
Masiulis also said the European power grid network ENTSO-E would connect to the Baltic states' grids within 24 hours if the countries were to be disconnected by Russia.
"If Russia disconnects us, even today, we would be ready. Our analysis shows that power supply would not be rationed, no serious disruptions expected," Masiulis told reporters.
"Our agreement with European operators is that we get synchronized within 24 hours," he said.
Reuters reported in June that European grid operators were ready to immediately put in place a plan to bring Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia -- which rely on the Russian grid for electricity -- into the European Union system in the event Moscow cuts off the former Soviet republics.
European nations have rushed to reduce their reliance on Russia for energy supplies following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February.