US-based credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Latvia’s sovereign credit rating at A-, which is unchanged from the previous rating in February 2023, LSM reports. At the same time, the agency revised its rating outlook from stable to positive. Fitch noted that Latvia had eliminated its dependence on Russian energy imports and reduced non-energy…
The Estonian Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet) has approved a takeover of Tallinn’s municipal company, Tallinna Soojus, by private energy group Utilitas, ERR reports. Following the takeover, Tallinna Soojus and Utilitas will establish a new joint venture, Utilitas Tallinna Soojus, which will become the new parent company of Tallinna Soojus. Utilitas will own 66.66% and Tallinn municipality…
Residents of Bauska municipality in southern Latvia are worried about plans to build a large wind farm in Lithuania near the Skaistkalne sinkhole zone, LSM reports. Anita Rozentale, editor of the regional newspaper, Bauskas Dzive, said that the wind farm would be located only 1.2 km from the sinkhole area. There is a sinkhole zone…
The climate and energy ministers of the three Baltic States have agreed to bring forward the synchronisation of the Baltic power grids with the continental European system to February 2025, BNS reports. The national transmission system operators will now agree on the technical details, after which the prime ministers of the three countries will make…
Estonia’s Ministry of Climate has drawn up an updated national energy and climate plan that includes more ambitious renewable energy and climate neutrality targets, ERR reports. Under the plan, Estonia would produce all power from renewable energy sources by 2030 and be completely climate neutral by 2050. Climate Minister Kristen Michal asserted that the plan…
Lithuanian asset management firm Modus Asset Management’s Clean Energy Infrastructure Fund will acquire Estonian renewable energy company Evecon’s solar farm portfolio in Latvia for an undisclosed sum, The Baltic Times reports. The portfolio consists of ten ground-mounted solar farms with bifacial solar panels and a total installed capacity of 55 MW. The portfolio is close…
Estonia and Latvia have put their national interests ahead of regional projects in regard to the synchronisation of the Baltic power grids with the contintental European system, Lithuania’s former energy minister, Arvydas Sekmokas, stated. Speaking in an interview with LRT, Sekmokas noted that Estonia seemed to want to postpone the synchronisation project to 2025 and…
The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) has approved 20 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects to the tune of EUR 371.5mn so far in 2023, LSM reports. The projects will create 1,160 new jobs. The investment projects are in sectors such as bioeconomy, ICT, photonics and smart materials, smart energy and mobility, as well…
Latvia’s electricity consumption totalled 491 GWh in June 2023, which was the lowest monthly figure since June 2005, according to data from transmission system operator Augstsprieguma Tikls (AST), LSM reports. Electricity consumption declined by 9% over a year and 5% over a month. AST attributed the drop in consumption to the increasing number of microgeneration…