The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) has signed a 720 million grant euros agreement with the electricity transmission system operators of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (Elering, AST, Litgrid and PSE) for the Baltic Synchronisation Project.
This represents the largest amount of funding ever attributed from the Connecting Europe Facility Energy (CEF-E). The project aims to better integrate electricity grids of the Baltic States with the ones of the rest of continental Europe and ensure their energy independence from third countries.
“Today’s agreement marks a decisive step in the Baltic Synchronisation process, a project of strategic European interest that needs to be completed by the end of 2025,” commented Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson. “This will ensure not only the full integration of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the internal energy market, but also facilitate the take-up of renewable energy in the Baltic States and Poland, helping them achieve the European Green Deal objectives.”
The major share, 493 million euros, is reserved for the construction of the Harmony Link interconnector between Lithuania and Poland. The cable will become a building block for allowing the integration of offshore renewable energy resources. Moreover, 166.5 million euros will be allocated to finance the installation of synchronous condensers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The remaining part is awarded for the modernisation and development of the internal transmission grid in Poland, required for the integration of the Harmony Link interconnection.
Synchronisation is a symbol of European solidarity in energy. With continuous support from the European Commission over the years, the leaders of the Baltic States and Poland reached a landmark agreement on 28 June 2018 and signed a Political Roadmap for accomplishing the synchronisation by the target date of 2025.
