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Only part of the methodology has been changed.
Daivis Virbickas, head of Litgrid, claims that the tripartite methodology agreed in 2018 determines how much power line capacity can be used for trade between the Baltic States and Russia and Belarus, as well as how these capacities are divided between connections in Lithuania, Latvia. and Estonia.
The wording was harmonized after the adoption of the so-called “antiastravic” law in Lithuania.
However, although the methodology basically states that the capacities of the cross-border power grid between Lithuania and Belarus after the start of the Astrava nuclear power plant are equal to 0 and this should be included in the formula used to calculate the total regional capacity with third countries. , the rest of the methodology how these calculated bandwidths are divided between the parts has not changed.
In other words, it is stated that a document is not modified, but only one of its provisions. In fact, this means that after setting bandwidth 0, trade with Belarus stops and the bandwidths of these connections electricity is not transferred anywhere, ”says D. Virbickas.
However, according to him, the same point of the rules states that the Baltic operators, in cooperation with national regulators, are evaluating the need for new bandwidth calculation rules.
The head of the company also emphasizes that the three countries have harmonized these rules in the past three years. However, they are not and have not been approved by binding agreements. The rules come into force in each country individually at the time they are approved by that country’s regulator.
Finding a compromise after the Latvian decision
In August last year, the Latvian government ordered the country’s AST operator to develop a new capacity methodology, relocating the disappearance capacity between Lithuania and Belarus on the Latvian border with Russia. AST did this together with Elering, but without Lithuania.
D. Virbickas points out that Latvia and Estonia presented this methodology to a public consultation last September. Negotiations began not only at a technical but also at a political level, involving national regulators and the European Commission (EC) in the process. Through the EC, the bilateral process between Latvia and Estonia was suspended and the Lithuanian proposal not to evaluate the network infrastructure between Lithuania and Belarus was identified, identifying the possible bandwidth between Latvia, Estonia and Russia.
“Currently, the widely discussed agreement on capacity determination has become a compromise. It falls between the Latvian-Estonian bilateral methodology proposal and the current rules that our neighbors have decided to change. They can do it. None of the regulators Baltics may be forced to adopt a bandwidth methodology based on the interests of the other country ”, argues D. Virbickas.
Mr Virbickas: Lithuania can achieve its goal at the negotiating table
According to the Litgrid boss, there are no legal measures that force the regulator to approve a methodology based on the interests of another state. And when the opportunity to reach a tripartite political agreement arises, Lithuania can only guarantee that Belarusian electricity does not enter its market after the start of the Astrava nuclear power plant. Waiting, on the other hand, would lead to the adoption of the Latvian-Estonian methodology in neighboring countries, which is less favorable to Lithuania.
“It is not like legally forcing neighbors to adopt the provisions of the bandwidth methodology that do not suit them. The European institutions will not help either. An alternative to the currently agreed compromise is not the current capacity rules, but a Latvian bilateral methodology -Estonia. Therefore, the most important tool left in the hands of Lithuania is diplomacy, “says D. Virbickas.
According to him, it is diplomacy that will help achieve the long-term goals, that is, synchronize with continental Europe and, therefore, solve the problem of capacity with Russia and Belarus, physically disconnect from the electrical system controlled by Moscow and , consequently, avoid the physical flows of the Astrava nuclear power plant.
Opposition calls on negotiators to resign
Opposition representatives on Monday called on the Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas to withdraw from the negotiations so that the electricity from the Astravas nuclear power plant does not enter the territory of Lithuania, otherwise they intend to start collecting signatures for the interpellation of the minister. They are also asking for the participation of President Gitan Nausea.
Dainius Kreivys, Žygimantas Pavilionis, members of the Christian Democrats faction of the National Union-Lithuania (TS-LKD) and Petras Auštrevičius, member of the European Parliament and representative of the Liberal Movement, addressed the Minister.
According to opposition representatives, Lithuanian negotiators are not implementing the country’s objective of restricting the electricity supply from the Astravas nuclear power plant to the Baltic States and other EU countries. According to conservatives, under the current methodology, the Baltic market is jointly and severally protected not only from Belarus, but also from Russian electricity.
Conservatives call for Vaičiūnas to seek a more ambitious deal whereby the three Baltic countries would not buy electricity from the Astravas nuclear power plant. However, Latvia opposes this, with the intention of buying Belarusian electricity, although it does not contradict Lithuania’s intention not to allow it.
Ž. Vaičiūnas says that his preliminary draft agreement already ensures the implementation of the “antiastravic” law.
In early June, the government did not make a decision on the agreement between the three Baltic states in the hope that both the European Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would become even more involved in the negotiations. Vaičiūnas’s position.
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