Germany, Latvia and Lithuania are moving ahead with plans for a joint cross-border electricity link in the Baltic Sea, with their transmission system operators tasked to develop an implementation concept by autumn, the parties said.
Grid operators 50Hertz, AST and Litgrid have been commissioned to prepare a technical and economic blueprint for the proposed Baltic-German PowerLink. The initiative was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed in Paris on Wednesday by German federal minister for economic affairs and energy Katherina Reiche and her Lithuanian and Latvian counterparts Žygimantas Vaičiūnas and Kaspars Melnis.
The ministers said hybrid electricity connections that function both as interconnectors and offshore grid links could help deliver more competitive power prices while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The project has been submitted for inclusion in the European Ten-Year Network Development Plan, enabling assessment of its impact on the internal electricity market, security of supply and eligibility for potential EU funding. A decision on next steps is expected by the end of 2026.
According to studies by the three TSOs, the Baltic-German PowerLink would involve an დაახლოებით 600-kilometre submarine cable linking Germany with a landing point in either southwest Latvia or northwest Lithuania. Plans also include an onshore electricity hub designed to feed around 2 GW of offshore wind capacity into the connection toward Germany and into the extra-high-voltage grids of AST and Litgrid.
Stefan Kapferer, chief executive of 50Hertz, said the project could unlock regional renewable potential. “The Baltic countries have great potential to generate more electricity from onshore and offshore wind energy than they need to meet their own needs. This project can help to give Germany access to cheap electricity generation from renewable energies and to bring the electricity markets of the Baltic States closer to the continental European electricity market with its high liquidity,” he said.
Roland Irklis, chairman of the board of AST, said the region is shifting toward surplus generation. “The share of renewable resources in the total energy balance is increasing year on year, and our forecasts show that the Baltic Sea region will change from an electricity importer to an electricity exporter in just a few years,” he said. He added that hybrid interconnectors should enable bidirectional power flows benefiting producers and consumers while strengthening security of supply.
Paulius Kozlovas, head of strategy at Litgrid, said defining the project’s parameters is the next priority. “A high-performance line for renewable electricity through the Baltic Sea is a significant step towards greater market integration and a more resilient European energy system. Our priority is to define the technical and economic parameters of the project with the greatest possible precision,” he said.
