Elering signs agreement for Estonian accession to Continental European electrical system

Elering has signed an agreement, including an annex on technical conditions, for the synchronization of the Estonian and the other Baltic states’ electricity system with the Continental European electricity system.

According to the chairman of the Elering management board, Taavi Veskimägi, the final agreement has now been reached on Estonia’s accession to the Continental European electricity system by the end of 2025, along with related technical conditions. “We have now successfully realized the political agreement, signed by Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and the Baltic prime ministers, the Polish prime minister and the president of the European Commission on 28 June last year. An important phase in desynchronizing from the Russian system and synchronizing with the Continental European system has now been completed. Now five years of very hard work lie ahead to be able to meet all the technical conditions that will ensure security of supply for Estonian consumers as a part of the Continental European electricity system,” said Veskimägi.

The agreement describes the technical solution for the accession and the tests and studies that must be performed. The catalogue of measures lays down the guidelines valid in the Continental European frequency area for controlling the electricity system, which the Baltic states will have to adapt to. Among other things, it describes the measures necessary for ensuring system stability. The electricity system’s control procedures and requirements for autonomous stable operation of the system will need to be harmonized. The technical precondition for synchronization is the establishment of an undersea direct-current between Lithuania and Poland, ensuring the necessary amount of inertia in the Baltic electricity system and ensuring the capability of the Baltic electricity system to operate in autonomous mode.

The agreement will come into force after it has been signed by representatives of the three Baltic states and the TSOs for the Continental European frequency area.

In parallel to the accession agreement, work is underway to integrate the Estonian electricity system more strongly in the southern direction – the construction of the third Estonia-Latvia line from Harku substation through Sindi and Kilingi-Nõmme to Riga and a project for renovating electricity transmission lines running from Ida-Viru County to Latvia through Tartu and Valga.

Planning of further investments is also underway, including for purchasing for the Estonian electricity system synchronous compensators necessary for the system to function. It is planned to submit an application for European Union co-financing of the next phase next year.

The total cost of the Baltic states’ synchronisation project is about 1.3 to 1.5 billion euros and Estonia’s share in it is about 350 million euros. The European Union provided 141 million euros in support for the first phase of investment in Estonia – 75% of the amount. We will seek support in the same proportion for the following phases of investments for synchronising the Baltic electricity system with the Continental Europe electricity system.

The Baltic states plan to join the Continental Europe frequency area by the end of 2025.