The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania officially disconnected their electricity systems from the Russian and Belarusian power grid on 9 February and switched to the EU continental grid.

The move is aimed at integrating more closely with the EU and achieving energy independence from Russia to enhance regional energy security.

The Baltic states remained reliant on Russia’s power grid after splitting from the Soviet Union in 1991 but confirmed their intention to break away in 2018. This was followed by a period of upgrades to the states’ current infrastructure, which was necessary for decoupling to succeed.

The transition became increasingly urgent following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The states subsequently ceased purchasing power from Russia but until this Sunday continued to be dependent on the Russian grid for frequency control and network stabilisation. Estonia, the furthest of the three from central Europe, was considered most at risk of difficulties following the separation from the Russian grid.

However, Mihkel Härm, CEO of Estonia’s largest distribution system operator, Elektrilevi, said: “When the work first began, some questioned the necessity of such a massive undertaking, but today we can all see it was the right decision. More than €1.6bn [$1.65bn] has been invested to ensure our transmission grids are up to the task.

“New 330 kilowatt (kV) powerlines have been built together with batteries and synchronous condensers to make sure the Baltic grids can maintain system balance even during challenging times. In addition to the new infrastructure, we also have frequency markets that are generating new sources of revenue and driving innovation in the energy sector, largely thanks to this synchronisation project.”

CEO of Lithuanian utility Ignitis Group Darius Maikštėnas added: “Local energy production, combined with imports from Nordic and central European markets, will maintain stability. Integration with Europe’s energy market will stabilise prices, as the Baltic States will gain access to more competitive and diverse electricity sources, including renewables.”

The move is timely considering the increasing concern in recent months over the security of power links in the Baltic Sea. Multiple undersea power and data cables went offline or were severed by ships since December, with reports alleging potential sabotage by vessels associated with Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers

However, the separation has left Kaliningrad, a small, isolated Russian exclave surrounded by Poland and Lithuania, as an energy island. Due to its dependence on Lithuanian gas transit, the region will now be vulnerable to sanctions and requires self-sufficiency for its power system.