TSOs propose Baltic Regional Coordination Centre to manage integrated networks

Transmission system operators in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are proposing to establish the Baltic Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) which will be responsible for managing an integrated or interconnected transmission network.

The transmission system operators (TSOs)- Estonia’s Elering, Latvia’s JSC “Augstsprieguma tīkls” and Lithuania’s Litgrid – have reached an agreement to establish the RCC and filed their proposal with the relevant regulatory authorities, according to a statement.

If approved, the RCC will operate from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

The RCC will be responsible for the planning of power systems operations, will not replace TSOs but rather complement their operations.

RCCs will help Europe to accelerate its energy transition and fast-forward the retirement of fossil fuels by enabling an increasing amount of renewables to be transported from regions of higher penetration to countries with higher energy demand, according to a statement.

The RCC will also be responsible for a secure and reliable operation of the integrated networks and will be owned equally by the three TSOs. The TSOs will have an equal number of experts managing the RCC and management will be rotated amongst the three Baltic states consecutively.

Chairman of the Management Board of Elering, Taavi Veskimägi, said: “Considering the challenges ahead in the energy sector due to green transmission, RCC is an important tool for moving from a nation-based perspective to a regional one, ensuring mutual trust between neighbouring countries and enhancing the security of supply.”

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Chairperson of AST’s Board Gunta Jēkabsone added: “Commitment of the three Baltic TSOs to strengthen the regional coordination comes at an important time. With the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity system with the power system of the Continental European underway and the ambitious national renewable energy targets in progress, mutual cooperation is the key concept underlying regional success.”

The proposal comes at a time the integration of transmission networks by Baltic TSOs is gaining pace as the countries seek to ensure a secure energy supply and reduce reliance on the Russian electricity network.

Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Latvia’s TSOs are seeking €238 million ($272.4 million) in funding from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility to speed up the synchronisation of networks and desynchronisation from the Russian unified power system.

The funding will be used for grid reinforcements, frequency regulation equipment and upgrade of IT control systems through 2025, according to a statement.