The Lithuanian wood processing group, VMG Group, has suspended its plan to build a particleboard factory in neighbouring Latvia for an indefinite period, Baltic News Network reports, citing business news portal Verslo Zinios. Rimas Varanauskas, shareholder of the project’s partners, Lithuanian furniture manufacturers Freda and Freda II, said that the project was put on hold…
The presidents of Lithuania and Poland, Gitanas Nauseda and Andrzej Duda, have signed a declaration on deepening bilateral defence and security ties, Baltic News Network reports. The presidents made the declaration during Nauseda’s official visit to Poland. At the same time, Lithuanian and Polish officials signed cooperation agreements on cyber security and defence industry, TVP…
Estonian power plants produced 5,686 GWh of electricity in 2023, which was 37% less than in 2022, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Power plants produced 4,323 GWh of heat energy (district heating), which was down 15% on year. The amount of electricity generated from oil shale fell by nearly 40% over a…
Estonia’s industrial production declined by 5.8% at constant prices on year in July 2024, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Output rose by 16.9% in mining and 16.3% in electricity production, but fell by 7.8% in manufacturing. The volume of industrial production declined in more than two thirds of manufacturing sectors. Meanwhile, sales of manufacturing…
Estonia was the world’s largest exporter of prefabricated wooden houses in 2023, ELTA reports, citing Lithuanian business news portal Verslo Zinios. Estonia had a global market share of 21.5%, followed by Lithuania with 9.3% and Poland with 8%. Estonia’s exports of wooden buildings totalled EUR 390mn in 2023. Lithuania came in second with EUR 164mn, which…
Latvia’s industrial production rose by 1.4% on year in July 2024, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reports. Output in manufacturing declined by 6.4%, while output in mining and quarrying increased by 6.1% and in electricity and gas supply by 66.0% over a year. Compared to June 2024,…
Estonia’s three ruling parties are likely to draw up a new coalition agreement by 19 July 2024, the Estonian Reform Party’s candidate for prime minister, Kristen Michal, stated, ERR reports. He said that the three parties had already agreed on the majority of the text in the most important policy areas: competitiveness, growth, public finances,…
Lithuania has the biggest installed capacity of wind energy in the Baltic States, according to Toms Naburgs, managing director of the Latvian Wind Energy Association (LVEA), LSM reports. Lithuania has 1,400 MW of installed wind turbines, compared to 400 MW in Estonia and just 140 MW in Latvia. Moreover, Lithuania is building and planning even…
Forestry costs in Latvia increased significantly in 2023 compared to previous years, according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Forest regeneration costs rose by 6.5-19.3%, forest tending costs by 14.7-50.8%, and timber harvesting costs by 4.4% in final felling and 12.2% in intermediate felling. The overall increase in forestry costs is attributed to higher…