Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia will not purchase electricity from Belarus. These measures will come into force after the launch of the nuclear power plant in Astravets in the Hrodna region in 2021.
The agreement between the three Baltic countries envisages the introduction of certification of the origin of electricity. At the end of the 1st quarter of 2021, when Latvia and Lithuania adopt the relevant laws, a tariff for the use of common infrastructure will also be introduced.
Energy trade between Russian Kaliningrad and Lithuania will remain the same.
In total, after the adoption of these measures, the Baltic countries will buy half the electricity from third countries. The new agreement will be valid until 2025.
According to the Estonian Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Taavi Aas,
“It is important for us that the agreement includes important issues for Estonia — a uniform tariff for the use of infrastructure and reduction of trade opportunities with third countries. The agreement reached contains these elements, which also improve the market position and prospects of our electricity producers”.
The launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was postponed to 2021. It was previously planned that the first power unit will start operating in January 2020. Then it was postponed to July. In May, nuclear fuel was delivered to the station. The loading of the fuel was supposed to begin in August.
The self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated:
“And there is no need to worry that it [electricity] will have nowhere to go. We’ll give it to the people! They will bake pancakes on electric stoves, they will drive electric cars”.
Lithuania has been opposing the construction of the nuclear power plant for a while. The country’s energy minister, Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, hoped that the Baltic states would not let energy from the BelNPP, located 50 kilometers from Vilnius, Lithuania, into their territory. Latvia was studying the issue of direct energy supplies from Belarus.
Following the events of the August 9th presidential elections, the Baltic countries reached an agreement on trade with Belarus.
