Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have accelerated their plan to cut the electrical chains that keep them tied to Russia. A technical lynchpin to their planned escape from the Moscow-controlled synchronous AC power zone is a constellation of synchronous condensers, free-spinning and fuel-free electrical generators whose sole purpose is to stabilise and protect power grids. The Baltic states, all members of the European Union and NATO, started freeing themselves from Russia’s electrical embrace almost a decade ago with the construction of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connections to Finland, Sweden, and Poland. These alternative sources of electrical support ended the Baltics’ dependance on imported power from Russia and Belarus.
Stabilising equipment is preparing the grid to physically separate from the giant grid to the east and to synchronise instead with the continental European grid to the south. In 2019, funding from the European Union jump-started the required grid-strengthening upgrades, and synchronisation with Europe was scheduled for the end of 2025. The Baltic states reached consensus on a plan to switch grids no later than February of 2025. Synchronous condensers provide three crucial grid-stabilising services: frequency regulation, short circuit power, and voltage support. Synchronous convertors were first deployed in the early 20th century but are increasingly being replaced by solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries that deliver their energy via electronic converters.
In recent decades, the Baltics have experienced more events where synchronisation breaks down, leading to increased demand for grid services. This is particularly relevant for the Baltics, which operates with just one AC link to continental Europe. Synchronous with Europe has increased the need for grid services in the Baltics, as Europe has large power plants that can cause larger disruptions than the Baltics have traditionally faced. The addition of flywheels to all nine of the Baltics’ synchronous condensers has increased momentum and equipped each installation with up to 2,200 megajoules of energy.
The Baltics are also strengthening their electrical systems by upgrading control systems and rebuilding transmission lines. A circuit between Estonia and Latvia is set to be ready by the end of 2024 to accelerate synchronisation with Europe. Russian action forced the speedup of this process, as Russia prepared faster for Baltic separation. By mid-2022, the Baltics forged a protocol for „emergency synchronisation,” allowing them to switch to Europe’s grid in a matter of hours if necessary. European grid operators fast-tracked Ukraine’s synchronisation within one month of Russia’s invasion, providing confidence that the Baltics can pull off an emergency switch.
Recent events highlight the importance of being ready, such as mechanical damage sustained by a natural-gas pipeline from Finland to Estonia and telecommunications cables linking Estonia to Sweden. NATO has already stepped up naval patrols and other surveillance in the Baltic to protect infrastructure, but the Baltics also need to practice deterrence.
