Baltic countries stop importing Russian electricity

Following the international sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian electricity exporter InterRAO lost since Sunday the possibility of selling electricity to these customers in the Baltic countries.

• Read also: Ukraine: Russia says it is ready to resume talks

• Read also: [EN DIRECT] 88th day of war in Ukraine: here are all the latest developments

• Read also: In Mariupol, the life in ruins of the survivors

“This is an important step on our way to energy independence,” Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys told AFP on Sunday.

On Friday, the energy exchange Nord Pool sent a notification to InterRAO, according to which the latter was banned from trading in the Baltic countries, following international sanctions.

For years, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have been striving to achieve energy independence from Moscow by increasing domestic electricity production and building grid interconnections with Scandinavia and other countries. other neighboring countries.

As a result, electricity imports from Russia to Latvia and Lithuania, which previously amounted to 1,300 megawatt hours per year, fell to 300 megawatt hours last year and have now come to a complete halt.

Latvia imported its last Russian electricity in early May, while Lithuania and Estonia stopped buying it on Sunday.

“By refusing to import Russian energy resources, we are refusing to finance the aggressor,” the Lithuanian minister further declared.

Russian electricity accounted for 17% of electricity imports to Lithuania last year.

Source

---