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“Since the beginning of November, all commercial electricity exchanges (with Belarus – BNS) have been terminated in accordance with the general agreement of the Baltic States. Currently, electricity from the Belarusian electricity system is not commercially exchanged with the European Union,” said Massimas Garribba, deputy director of the EC Department of Energy, on Thursday.
At a meeting of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) of the European Parliament (PE), he said that although Latvia continues to trade electricity with Russia, there is no trade in Belarusian electricity.
“Electricity exports from Belarus have been suspended since November 3. What has not stopped is the flow of electricity from Russia through Latvia and continues – the Latvian WHO applies a basic system of proof of origin to electricity that cross the border – to guarantee (no Belarusian electricity trade – BNS), “said Mr. Garribba.
He recalled that the Commission was actively involved in the Baltic States in ongoing discussions on trilateral action on electricity trade with third countries, ie Russia.
“The details of the implementation of the Baltic trade regime are still being discussed with the strong support of the Commission,” explained the EC representative.
According to him, the Commission is doing everything possible to ensure that Astravo NPP complies with safety standards.
“We do everything in our power to ensure that Belarus and the Astrava nuclear power plant meet the highest international safety standards. However, I want to emphasize that the ultimate responsibility lies with the operator (Belarusian BNS) and the national regulator. ”Said Mr. Garribba.
According to the official, the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) should provide an assessment of the stress tests and the safety situation in the near future, which is planned to take place before the commercial launch of the nuclear power plant in Astrava, which can take place in March. A peer review team is scheduled to visit the plant in February.
“In conclusion, the peer review process is well advanced and we expect ENSREG to finalize and publish expert opinions, including on high security issues, in the coming months,” said Garribba.
Speaking on another important issue for the Baltic energy sector, the synchronization of networks with Europe, the official assured that the EC supports the project both politically and financially. He recalled that the EU had already allocated more than one billion euros for this. euros.
“We don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be completed on time, by the end of 2025,” Garribba said.
In January, the Minister of Energy, Dainius Kreivys, declared that “the fact remains: Latvians trade in Belarusian electricity” and the “anti-Travidic” law adopted by Lithuania is violated.
“VERT, the regulator, has made it clear that the electricity flowing to Lithuania today is from Belarus, is listed on the Riga Stock Exchange and violates the law (…) I can say that this data is even more profound when it is works with the operator Litrgrid. “It shows that the electricity from the Astravas nuclear power plant enters Lithuania, is traded and we consume it,” said D. Kreivys in an interview with BNS.
This week, the Minister said that he would invite his Latvian counterpart to continue negotiations on a methodology for trilateral electricity trading.
On Wednesday, the Lithuanian government decided to establish a commission and a working group on the issues of timing of the Astrava nuclear power plant and power grids. The minister says that the working group will begin its activities early next week, and by the end of February it is expected to have an action plan for power cuts at the Astravo nuclear power plant.
The State Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) is the only one in the Baltic States that has not yet approved a new methodology for trade with third countries, as it does not prevent trade in Belarusian electricity.
However, after approval by the Latvian and Estonian regulators, the countries are already applying a new methodology; according to her, Latvia started trading with Russia immediately after Lithuania stopped trading with Belarus in early November last year, when the Astrava nuclear power plant was turned on.
Lithuania is now following the methodology approved in 2018: it envisioned that Lithuania would stop trading with Belarus after the start of the Astrava nuclear power plant, and Latvia and Estonia would not trade with Russia.
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