Latest news with #ZygimantasVaiciunas
Bloomberg
08-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
EU Can Offer Trump Methane Help to Spur LNG Trade, Minister Says
The European Union should look at tweaking its methane rules so it can import more US LNG as part of a package to placate US President Donald Trump on trade, according to Lithuania's energy minister. The European Commission should work on reducing some of the 'technical burdens' under the bloc's methane regulation that may hamper US LNG purchases, Zygimantas Vaiciunas said in an interview. Such a move should be combined with a strong roadmap to phase out Russian gas, with US supplies filling the shortfall, he added.
Japan Times
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Baltic nations disconnect from Russian power grid ahead of linking with EU
VILAKA, Latvia – The three Baltic states disconnected their electricity systems from Russia's power grid on Saturday, the region's operators said, part of a plan designed to integrate the countries more closely with the European Union and boost security. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania disconnected from the IPS/UPS joint network and, subject to last-minute tests, they will synchronize with the EU's grid on Sunday after operating on their own in the meantime. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will speak at a ceremony on Sunday to mark the switch to the EU system, her office said on Friday. "We've reached the goal we strived for for so long. We are now in control," Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told a press conference. The operators successfully undertook frequency management trials on Saturday, testing the Baltic grid's stability during interruptions such as sudden shutdowns of power plants, Lithuanian grid operator Litgrid said on Saturday evening. Further trials on Sunday will test the Baltic grid's ability to manage current. Immediately after disconnecting, Latvian workers used a crane to reach the high-voltage wires in Vilaka, 100 meters from the Russian border, and cut them. They handed out chopped wire as keepsakes to cheering observers. "We will never use it again. We are moving on," Latvia's Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis told Reuters in Vilaka. Plans for the Baltics to decouple from the grid of their former Soviet imperial overlord, debated for decades, gained momentum following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The grid was the final remaining link to Russia for the three countries, which reemerged as independent nations in the early 1990s at the fall of the Soviet Union and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004. The three staunch supporters of Kyiv stopped purchases of power from Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but have relied on the Russian grid to control frequencies and stabilize networks to avoid outages. "By ending the energy dependence of the Baltic states on Russia, we are leaving the aggressor without the option of using energy as a weapon against us," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. An army truck was seen at the Rezekne power substation near the Latvia-Russia border, and officers with guns were patrolling the vicinity and in the nearby town, indicative of Baltic worries of attempted sabotage to disrupt the switch. The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after power cable, telecom links and gas pipeline outages between the Baltics and Sweden or Finland. All were believed to have been caused by ships dragging anchors along the seabed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has denied any involvement. "The system is stable, the process is happening smoothly, no one is noticing that something changed," Melnis said. Maintaining a constant power supply requires a stable grid frequency, which can more easily be obtained over time in a large synchronized area such as Russia or continental Europe, compared to what the Baltics can do on their own, analysts say. Lithuania's energy ministry said it has drawn up contingency plans whereby some heavy energy users, such as factories, could be temporarily disconnected from the grid in the event of power shortages, to maintain essential supplies during the switch. For Russia, the decoupling means its Kaliningrad exclave, located between Lithuania, Poland and the Baltic Sea, is cut off from Russia's main grid, leaving it to maintain its power system alone. The Baltic countries spent nearly €1.6 billion ($1.66 billion) since 2018 to upgrade grids to prepare, while Moscow has spent 100 billion rubles ($1 billion), including on the building of several gas-fired power plants in Kaliningrad.
Express Tribune
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Baltic nations disconnect from Russian power grid
VILNIUS: The three Baltic states on Saturday cut ties with Russia's power grid to join the European Union's network, the culmination of a years-long process that gained urgency with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- all former Soviet republics that are now in the European Union and NATO -- had wanted to block Russia's ability to geopolitically blackmail them via the electricity system. "We have removed any theoretical possibility of Russia using energy (grid) control as a weapon," Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told AFP on Saturday. The European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen, said: "This is indeed a historic day." "I like the light better when there's no Russian electrons involved," he told reporters in Estonian capital Tallinn. "It's important to underline that this is about security... No European country should be dependent on Russia for anything," he added. Vaiciunas said the Baltic states had completed the disconnection process at 9:09 am (0709 GMT). Latvia later physically cut a power line to Russia. "Now we have complete control over our power grid," Latvian Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis told reporters while holding a piece of the dismantled wire. Vaiciunas said the Baltics were now operating in so-called "isolated mode" before they integrate with the European grid on Sunday. A total of 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) — mostly EU funds — have been invested in the synchronisation project across the Baltic states and Poland. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was to attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in Vilnius on Sunday.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Baltic nations ditch Russian power grid in ‘victory for freedom'
Three Baltic states have cut ties with Russia's power grid to join the European Union's network in 'a victory for freedom.' Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all former Soviet republics now in the European Union and Nato – had wanted to block Russia's ability to geopolitically blackmail them via the electricity system. Zygimantas Vaiciunas, Lithuania's energy minister, told AFP on Saturday: 'We have removed any theoretical possibility of Russia using energy [grid] control as a weapon.' Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief and Estonia's former prime minister, hailed the grid switch as 'a victory for freedom and European unity'. Mr Vaiciunas said the Baltic states had completed the disconnection process at 9.09 local time (07.09 GMT) on Saturday. 'We have been waiting for this moment for a long time,' he told reporters, after speaking with his Estonian and Latvian counterparts. 'The energy system of the Baltic states is finally in our own hands. We are in control,' he added of the 'historic' moment. Official celebrations are planned across the Baltics. Authorities are on guard for any potential cyber-attacks linked to the grid switch. Latvia physically cut a power line to Russia on Saturday and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, is expected to attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in Vilnius on Sunday. The Baltics have long prepared to integrate with the European grid but they have faced technological and financial issues. The switch became more urgent after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, which spooked the Baltic states into thinking that they could be targeted. They stopped purchasing Russian gas and electricity after the invasion but their power grids remained connected to Russia and Belarus, controlled from Moscow. This left them dependent on Moscow for a stable electricity flow, which is crucial for factories and facilities requiring a reliable power supply. The Baltic states will operate in 'isolated mode' for about 24 hours to test their frequency, or power levels, according to Litgrid, Lithuania's state-run grid operator, before they integrate with the European grid on Sunday. Rokas Masiulis., the Litgrid head, previously said: 'We need to carry out some tests to assure Europe that we are a stable energy system. 'We'll switch power stations on and off, observe how the frequency fluctuates and assess our ability to control it.' The states will then integrate into the European power grid via Poland. Authorities have warned of potential risks linked to the change. Lithuania's state security department told AFP: 'Various short-term risks are possible, such as kinetic operations against critical infrastructure, cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns.' Poland's power grid operator PSE had said it would use helicopters and drones to patrol the connection with Lithuania. Edgars Rinkevics, the Latvian president, told LTV1 that the countries could not 'rule out possible provocations'. In Estonia, police and volunteer defence corps will man critical electrical infrastructure until next weekend because of the risk of sabotage. Several undersea telecom and power cables have been severed in the Baltic Sea in recent months. Some experts and politicians have accused Russia of waging a hybrid war, an allegation that Moscow denies. A total of €1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) – mostly EU funds – have been invested in the synchronisation project across the Baltic states and Poland. Gitanas Nauseda, the Lithuanian president, was sure that the switch would go smoothly, telling reporters: 'People won't feel it, either in terms of their bills or any inconvenience.' Estonia's climate ministry urged everyone to carry on as usual as 'the more regular and predictable the behaviour... the easier it is to manage the power grid'. But some consumers are worried about power cuts and home improvement stores in Estonia noted a sharp increase in sales of generators. After the Baltic decoupling, the energy system in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad will lose its grid connection to mainland Russia. Kaliningrad has been building up power generation capacity for years and Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, dismissed all concerns. Asked about the cut-off last week, he said: 'We have taken all measures to ensure the uninterrupted reliable operation of our unified energy system.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Observer
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Baltic nations disconnect from Russian power grid
VILNIUS: The three Baltic states on Saturday cut ties with Russia's power grid to join the European Union's network, the culmination of a years-long process that gained urgency with Moscow's attack of Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — all former Soviet republics — had wanted to block Russia's ability to geopolitically blackmail them via the electricity system. "We have removed any theoretical possibility of Russia using energy (grid) control as a weapon," Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said. The European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen, said: "This is indeed a historic day." "I like the light better when there's no Russian electrons involved," he said. "It's important to underline that this is about security... No European country should be dependent on Russia for anything," he added. "Now we have complete control over our power grid," Latvian Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis said to reporters while holding a piece of the dismantled wire. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was to attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in Vilnius. — AFP
