The last countries in the European Union that were still connected to the Russian electricity grid are disconnecting from Russia and Belarus and starting a new, cleaner page.
After years of infrastructure work and a huge financial investment, the process of connecting the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – to the European electricity grid was completed in early February. This is a historic step with significant geopolitical and energy implications. The move will allow them to manage their energy systems in accordance with uniform and transparent European rules, and most importantly, to free themselves from Russian dependence and achieve energy independence. Furthermore, the project is expected to lead to a decrease in energy costs in the Baltic states and a wider integration of renewable energy sources. Is this primarily a political move or rather an environmental move?
project Connecting the Baltic states to the European electricity grid took about 15 years and is considered one of the European Union's major infrastructure projects. The project was financed mainly by the EU countries, which invested more than €1.23 billion in it - an amount that covers about 75 percent of its cost. The additional cost was invested by the Baltic states themselves, which are the last of the EU countries whose electricity grids were still fully connected to the Russian and Belarusian systems. "It has been 25 years since Russia started selling natural gas to Europe," says Dr. Daniel Mader, a researcher and consultant in the field of environmental sciences at SP Interface. "Every few years they would stop the gas supply or raise prices arbitrarily, to show the Europeans that they were the bosses and to leverage the geopolitical influence that control over energy supplies gives. The peak came with the outbreak of war between Russia to Ukraine"which led to a sharp increase in energy prices and energy uncertainty," he says.
Russia’s control of the electricity grid exposed the Baltic states to potential disruptions and even political manipulation. That is, if one of the Baltic states did something that Russia did not “like” – for example, voting against it at the UN or selling weapons to Ukraine – then it could disrupt the electricity supply. Thus, Russia and Belarus had a certain amount of control over the Baltic states. The current project not only ends the Baltic region’s last energy dependence on Russia, but also significantly reduces Moscow’s ability to influence the states.
The narrow corridor
One reason the Baltic states were not connected to the European electricity grid is their geography and history. The three countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – which were once part of the Soviet Union and are now members of the European Union and NATO, are located in the northeast of the continent, bordering Russia and Belarus. For decades, their connection to Russian infrastructure was seen as a natural state, a result of historical and economic dependence that dates back to the period of Soviet rule.
One of the Baltic states' main weaknesses in the energy context is their geographical location: they are "trapped" between Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic Sea, with the only land passage connecting them to the rest of Europe being "The Suwałki Corridor" - a narrow strip of land about 100 kilometers long on the border between Lithuania and Poland. This corridor is considered a sensitive strategic point because it is the Baltic states' only direct connection to the European Union countries, and is bordered between Russia (via the Kaliningrad enclave) and Belarus - Moscow's close ally. Following the war between Russia and Ukraine and the growing tension between Russia and Europe, the Baltic states acted with determination to disconnect from the Russian electricity grid and fully integrate into the European energy system. This transition is not only an infrastructural and economic change, but also a clear political statement about their aspiration for energy independence and strengthening ties with The West.
Madar tells of another attempt to reduce the Baltic states' energy dependence on Russia, in which an undersea natural gas pipeline was laid between Estonia and Finland (Baltic Connector). In October 2023, this gas pipeline and with it a communications cable were severed by the anchor of a Chinese ship (which left the Russian port of St. Petersburg), which was dragged along the seabed. "It is estimated that this damage was intentional, in cooperation between Russia and China (China is hostile to Estonia, which promotes ties with Taiwan). This damage caused huge emissions of the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere, and of course significant economic and energy damage to Estonia and Finland."
At a ceremony in Lithuania to mark the completion of the electricity interconnection project, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared this a historic moment for the European Union. In her speech saying"Today history is being written – the Baltic states are achieving energy independence. The last remaining power grids in Europe connected to Russia are now becoming an integral part of the European energy market, and soon the last power lines connecting them to Russia and Belarus will be dismantled. Energy ties with hostile countries will be a thing of the past. This is freedom – freedom from threats and blackmail. Congratulations on the beginning of a new era."
The Baltic states' energy move is expected to lead to a significant reduction in energy costs for their citizens. Photo: pexels
Politics contributes to the environment
Beyond the political and economic aspects, this is also a significant environmental step. "European countries have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and switching to greener, more environmentally friendly energy," explains Madar. "One way to do this is to produce electricity From renewable energy "Or from nuclear energy. It should be understood that most of the energy that has come from Russia to the Baltic states is of the most polluting type, produced from fossil fuels. The transition to the European grid, which includes a significant percentage of renewable energy, significantly improves the environment and helps meet European goals," he explains.
Since the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022 and the accompanying energy crisis, Significant increase In establishing renewable energy production facilities across Europe. report A recent study found that since the start of the war in Ukraine (in just two and a half years), the share of renewable electricity generation in the European Union has increased by 34 percent, and now accounts for 47 percent of total EU electricity consumption, or 71 percent in total with other clean electricity generation (including nuclear energy). The share of fossil fuels in EU electricity generation (mainly natural gas and coal) has fallen to just 29 percent (a 25 percent decrease over the same period).
"This astronomical jump in the rate of renewable energies in Europe in such a short time illustrates once again that in Israel too, the rate of renewable energies can be rapidly increased, if we only want to," notes Madar. "Likewise, anyone who has fantasies of selling natural gas to Europe should recognize that the scope of natural gas use in the European Union is plummeting, and the day will not be far off when there will be no market for natural gas left there."
The Baltic states' energy move is expected to significantly reduce energy costs for their citizens. "First, fossil fuel energy is relatively expensive compared to renewable energy," explains Madar, adding: "Now that they are independent of Russia, the Baltic states will be able to buy and sell electricity within the European grid and stop supporting the Russian economy." In other words, when the Baltic states have surplus electricity, they will be able to sell it to other European countries. The current project is a positive step for Europe, both in terms of energy and in terms of combating the climate crisis. However, it is important to note that the European Union still relies to a certain extent on Russian gas – About 15 percent of Europe's gas supply comes from Russia, and countries such as Germany, Italy, Belgium, and France continue to import gas and fossil fuels from Russia, which indicates that the road to eliminating Europe's dependence on Russia is still long.
