Baltic States – CIS, Energy, Estonia, EU – Baltic States

"It is difficult to justify separating the electricity grid with traditional cost-income analysis," states Swedish consultation company Gothia Power, which together with the main grid companies of the three Baltic States analysed the linking with Central European frequency area.

The 1,500 page freshly completed study by Gothia Power analyses the technical possibilities for the separation. The analysis is confidential and Estonian main grid company Elering agreed to make just a short summary of it public.

Gothia's analysis state that technically desynchronising or separating from the Russian grid is possible but its economic feasibility or positive effect on the electricity market is questionable.

Gothia's analysts state that the cause for the separation has to be something else than technical or economic reasons, in other words, it has to be a political decision. Eventually, electricity consumers have to pay the 500-600 million euro investment.

Gothia's analysts state that Baltic States could be separated from the Russian electricity grid in 2020, but the first realistic deadline would be 2025.

"The study should give Baltic States' governments and parliaments a basis for a fundamental decision whether an in what time frame to continue working on desynchronising. Certainly the decision to join the Central European synchrony area or not has to be the common political decision of the Baltic States," said Elering's manager Taavi Veskimägi.

"The main task was to find out if technically synchronising Baltic States with Central European frequency area is doable. And the answer was a firm, yes, it is," said Veskimägi.