News & events

2016-09-20

Lithuania’s experience in energy projects will benefit Energy Union vision

Experience gained by Lithuanian electricity specialists in the fields of system control, connection of electricity markets and infrastructure will be of use while seeking the vision of European energy integration. The Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid presented these opportunities to Dominique Ristori, Director General for Energy of the European Commission (EC), who visited the Lithuanian energy company.
 
“The Lithuanian power system finds itself in a unique situation. As of the beginning of the year, Lithuania is managing 15 power links with the countries from three different synchronous zones; trade in electricity is available in five different markets. Thus, the field of our specialists’ knowledge of the energy sector stretches from Vladivostok to Lisbon and from Helsinki to Athens. We hope that our knowledge and experience will be of use to other countries that aim at connecting to their neighbours, as well as to the entire European Union that seeks deeper integration,” Daivis Virbickas, CEO of Litgrid, said to the high EC official.
 
According to him, the vision of and support from the European Commission is of utmost importance in respect of the goal of European countries to develop new infrastructure or market connection projects, and in the case of Baltic States – the goal to achieve synchronisation with the Continental Europe networks. The strategies and projects of individual European countries should be developed with the aim of corresponding to the general integration goals and being of use to as large number of states as possible.
 
The European Commission seeks an Energy Union, i.e. a closer cooperation of all European Union Member States in the field of energy, ensuring reliable competitive energy supply to consumers, which is unlimited by national borders. One of the key priorities of the European Union is the development of transnational power links. After the power grids of neighbouring countries are connected, eventually electricity will freely flow from Helsinki to Lisbon, and a single electricity market will operate in the European Union.
 
Cooperation between Litgrid and the European Union will shortly assume a new format. The company’s CEO Daivis Virbickas has become a member of the EC Expert Group. Comprised of power market and energy sector experts recognised across Europe, as well as scientists and representatives of non-governmental organisations, this group will consult the Commission on the issues of connecting the European electricity infrastructure.