Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia take the final step towards energy freedom

Until now, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, together with Russia and Belarus, have operated in the so-called BRELL electricity ring, where the electricity frequency is centrally regulated by Russia. Disconnecting from BRELL system and connecting to the European electricity grid is not only a political move, but also an extremely important step in terms of national security. 

Lithuania has followed an extremely long and difficult path towards energy independence: the installation of an LNG terminal with a storage vessel, the complete abandonment of Russian energy sources, the intensive development of renewable energy, and the imminent disconnection from the BRELL ring. Synchronisation with the continental European electricity grid is the last step towards Lithuania's energy freedom.

The synchronisation of the Baltic countries with the continental European grid will take place through the extension of the existing LitPol Link between Lithuania and Poland. In preparation for synchronisation, the internal transmission networks of the Baltic States and Poland are being reinforced, synchronous compensators are being installed, and the systems are being prepared for disconnection from BRELL and independent frequency management.

In January 2025, the second of three synchronous compensators installed by Litgrid, the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator, became operational at the Alytus synchronous compensator station. The commissioning of the synchronous compensators is a key step towards disconnecting from the Russian electricity system in February 2025 and successfully connecting to the continental European grid.

The synchronous compensator acts as a first protection ring, slowing down frequency fluctuations when unexpected disturbances occur, such as a power cut. This solution ensures that the grid remains stable until other frequency support reserves, such as batteries or generating capacity, come online. The unit, weighing more than 460 tonnes, was manufactured in Germany and installed in Lithuania by Siemens Energy.

In total, three synchronous compensators are connected to the transmission grid in Lithuania: at the Telšiai transformer substation, the Alytus electricity hub, which consists of the Alytus transformer substation and the LitPol Link distribution substation, and the Neris transformer substation in the Vilnius district. The synchronous compensator in Telšiai started operating last autumn, while the Neris synchronous compensator will start operating in May.

Lithuania's disconnection from the BRELL electricity ring will allow it to participate more actively in the EU's common electricity market. According to the Ministry of Energy, it is also expected that the installed infrastructure will help to integrate even more electricity generation capacity from renewable sources into the Lithuanian system.