Latvia and Lithuania tried to abandon Russian electricity, but this led to a sharp increase in prices

Latvia and Lithuania conducted a test shutdown of electricity supplies from the Russian Federation as part of a project to exit the energy ring that connects the countries of the former USSR. During the test shutdown, prices for the Balts for light were growing, while for the Russians, on the contrary, they were decreasing.

Test trip and its results

So, in the period from April 8 to 11, Latvia, without any explanation, decided to interrupt commercial purchases of electricity produced by the Russian Federation. It was during the same period that a trial disconnection of the power transmission line of Lithuania from the power system of Belarus fell.

These actions were associated with the elaboration of plans for withdrawal from the energy ring of three countries at once: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. So, according to the plan, they (the countries) should be energetically independent from Belarus and even more so from Russia by 2025.

For these two days, commercial purchases of electricity from the Russian Federation were zero. But the most paradoxical thing is that such a reduction in energy sales led to a decrease in electricity prices in the Russian Federation.

The termination of the flow of 10 GWh led to the fact that the cost of electricity on the wholesale market in the first price zone decreased by 1% (by 14 rubles) to 1.37 thous. rubles per megawatt * hour.

So the most noticeable price decline was recorded in the Kaluga and Bryansk regions, where the price fell immediately by 36 rubles. The fall in prices intensified over the weekend in both the Bryansk and Smolensk regions. So 1 MW * h cost 71 and 68 rubles lower, respectively.

But for the population of the Baltics, such an "experiment" turned into an increase in purchase prices. On the same day, April 8, purchase prices in Lithuania immediately increased by 4 euros per 1 MWh and reached 51 euros (approximately 4.7 thousand rubles). rubles).

Who will win and who will lose from it

The main supplier and beneficiary from the sale of electricity abroad is the Russian company Inter RAO and, according to reports for 2019, Lithuania accounted for 33% of total sales, which totaled 3.8 billion kWh in transit through Belarus and about 2.6 billion kWh through the Kaliningrad region. In total, Inter RAO received revenues of $ 20.5 billion. rubles.

Of course, the disconnection of the Baltic countries from the power system of the Russian Federation will reduce the revenue of our companies, but it will also hit the wallets of the Balts. And it turns out, since there is no economic benefit from such actions, then everything revolves around politics. What do you personally think? Write in the comments.

Well, time will tell whether Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will fully withdraw from the common energy ring in 2025. If you liked the material, then rate it and do not forget to subscribe to the channel. Thank you for your attention!