Lithuania’s electricity transmission system operator Litgrid performed an isolated operation test of the country’s electricity system on Saturday, April 22. During the test, connections to the IPS/UPS system controlled by Russia were disconnected from the Lithuanian electricity system, which operated in the energy island mode for the first time ever from 11:00 am to 9 pm.
Electricity was supplied to consumers by power plants operating in Lithuania, as well as direct current connections with Poland and Sweden, but the balance and frequency of the electricity system was controlled by Litgrid dispatchers only.
“After the end of the test, the Lithuanian electricity system is currently operating smoothly in the IPS/UPS system, together with other Baltic countries,” Litgrid said in a press release.
According to the company, the isolated operation test is one of the most important steps in preparing for the synchronization of the electrical system with continental Europe. The Baltic countries are planning to disconnect their electricity grids from the post-Soviet BRELL system and synchronize with continental Europe in 2025. However, Lithuania is seeking to complete the synchronization next year. The test was part of the effort to speed up the process.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys welcomed the isolated operation test of the Lithuanian electricity system on Saturday night. “Immensely proud of our electric power engineers, Litgrid’s team and all those who contributed to the successful test! One more step, and hugely significant, closer to the day when we will be where we should be – part of the European network!” Šimonytė posted on Facebook.
Kreivys spoke about sufficient domestic power generation ensured during the test and noted that electricity produced in Lithuania was even exported for some time. “Today’s test is a giant step towards energy independence,” the energy minister said in a Facebook post.
With Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia seeking to synchronise their electricity grids with the Continental European system, an isolated operation test involving electricity systems of the three countries will also have to be performed.
Lithuanian officials earlier said that they tried to persuade Latvia and Estonia to join the test performed by Lithuania on Saturday but the two refused, saying they were not technically ready for the exercise. According to energy experts, the fact that Lithuania has performed the isolated operation test alone shows disagreements among the Baltic countries in the energy sector. Lithuanian officials earlier said that if the test were successful, the country would consider exercising an option in the BRELL treaty, which regulates the participation in the post-Soviet energy system, to withdraw from it in February 2024. They stressed that if the country missed the opportunity, the treaty would allow Lithuania to do so again only in 2025, which could hamper plans for earlier synchronization.
Lithuania is eager to step up the process of synchronization with Continental European grids and complete it in 2024 but Latvia and Estonia want to stick to the earlier agreed target date of 2025.
The European Commission sees the synchronization of electricity grids of the Baltic countries as a major political and financial priority and has already provided more than 1.2 billion euros for the project.
