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Russian Energy Minister Aleksandras Novakas sent a note to Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, in which he urged not to apply an additional coefficient and thus reduce electricity trade through the Latvian-Russian connection. It is this coefficient that Moscow considers to be the main negative element of the methodology.
Moscow also calls for the opening of trade between Estonia and Russia, which, according to the new methodology, would remain closed.
“In our opinion, applying this methodology would be discriminatory, worsen business conditions with the only partner, the Russian Federation, and definitely reduce electricity supply by around one billion. kilowatt-hours per year, ”says A. Novakas in a letter seen by BNS.
In addition, A. Novakas ensures that the Russian exporter Inter RAO will be able to deliver guarantees of origin (certificates) on time, proving that the electricity that enters the Baltic countries is produced in Russia.
According to the Russian minister, if Lithuania closes the 1,300 megawatt (MW) maximum capacity connection with Belarus, the Russian electricity supply through the Latvian-Russian connection would decrease to 900 MW, and applying an additional coefficient of 0.62, at approximately 600 MW.
The representative of the Minister of Energy, Aurelija Vernickaitė, confirmed to the SNB that the Russian note had been received, but did not comment on its content.
Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid claims that according to the methodology, a maximum of 4.2 billion LTL could be imported from mainland Russia to the Baltic States in 2021. kWh of electricity and 6.6 billion without applying a factor of 0 , 62. kWh.
Ž.Vaičiūnas has said that if the Baltic states produced more local electricity or if “certain interconnection management issues” were used, the volume of trade with Russia could drop to as low as 1.5 billion. kWh.
The new methodology has already been approved by the Baltic electricity transmission system operators, but has not yet been approved by national regulators. Inga Žilienė, president of the State Energy Regulatory Council (VERT), told BNS on Tuesday that the draft of the current methodology would not implement the so-called “anti-stravic” law adopted by Lithuania and needs to be improved.
According to her, according to Litgrid’s calculations, the formula does not eliminate physical flows through the Lithuanian-Belarusian connection; Eliminating them could further reduce the volume of trade with Russia, nor is the electricity origin guarantee system completed.
I.Žilienė stated that, without confirming the validity of the new methodology, the 2018 methodology, according to which, after the commissioning of the Astravas nuclear power plant, trade will take place between Lithuania and Karaliaučius, and the Baltic countries they will no longer trade with mainland Russia and Belarus. In this case, however, Latvia and Estonia can adopt their own methodology for trading with Russia.
Conservatives who won the Seimas election on Tuesday criticized the methodology as it could legitimize “acts prohibited by anti-astral law.”
The possibility of Astrava’s electricity entering the common market through the Latvian-Russian connection and the use of transmission lines between Lithuania and Belarus is the most controversial.
The outgoing government says risks will be reduced with lower bandwidth and a system of guarantees of origin. Conservatives say there are too few fuses.
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