Baltic: Latvian president calls for joint policy coordination

Joint policy coordination among the three Baltic States was crucial in the current geopolitical situation, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking during an official visit to Lithuania, Rinkevics noted that Latvia and Lithuania shared common interests in terms of EU and NATO policy, strengthening security and defence capabilities, ensuring energy security and independence,…

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Baltic: Latvian president urges coordinated action on power grid synchronisation

Coordinated action by the Baltic States was essential to synchronise their power grids with the continental European system, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Rinkevics discussed the synchronisation project with Climate and Energy Minister Raimonds Cudars. Earlier, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda urged Rinkevics to speed up the synchronisation project, LETA reported. Speaking after a…

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Latvia: Gas distributor Gaso’s change of ownership registered

Latvia’s gas distribution system operator, Gaso, has registered its change of ownership in the country’s commercial register, GlobeNewswire reports. Under a deal signed in April 2023, Estonian privately-owned gas company Eesti Gaas (Elenger) acquired 100% of Gaso’s shares from Latvian gas company Latvijas Gaze for EUR 122mn. Gaso is Latvia’s only natural gas distribution operator.

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Baltic: Baltic power grids to decouple from Russia by 2025: Estonian PM

The Baltic States will decouple from the BRELL power grid linked to Russia and Belarus in the beginning of 2025, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced, ERR reports. Earlier, Lithuania urged the Baltic States to synchronise their power grids with the continental European system ahead of schedule in 2024. Kallas noted that such a rapid…

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Latvia: Pres. Rinkevics to pay official visit to Lithuania

Latvia’s new president, Edgars Rinkevics, will pay an official visit to Lithuania on 19 July 2023, BNS reports. Rinkevics will meet with his Lithuanian counterpart, Gitanas Nauseda, and speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen. The officials will discuss the decisions taken at the NATO summit in Vilnius, regional and energy security, and…

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Baltic: Decoupling from Russian grid impossible ahead of schedule

The Baltic States will not be able to decouple their power grids from the Russian-controlled BRELL system ahead of schedule in 2024, Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Lithuania’s electricity transmission system operator, Litgrid, stated, BNS reports. He said that the synchronisation process still depended on Estonia’s transmission system operator, Elering, which has said that Estonia will…

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Latvia: Planned wind farms may cover 50% of electricity needs

Planned new wind energy projects in Latvia would be sufficient to generate electricity for more than half of the country, LSM reports. At the moment, wind energy accounts for just under 3% of Latvia’s electricity production, according to the Ministry of Climate and Energy. Lasma Livzeniece, executive director of the Latvian Wind Energy Association (LVEA),…

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Lithuania: Court upholds state’s EUR 240mn claim against Veolia

Lithuania’s Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling of the Vilnius Regional Court in the Energy Ministry’s case against French energy group Veolia, Baltic News Network reports. The court rejected appeals from Veolia, Vilniaus Energija, and Litesko against the Energy Ministry’s claim of EUR 240mn in compensation for damages caused to the state. The Court…

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