The Harmony Link project received EU funding

Almost €720 million of EU funding will be provided to projects necessary to synchronise Baltic energy networks with the Continental Europe system. The most – almost 500 million EUR will be added to the construction of Harmony Link – the submarine cable Poland-Lithuania.

The CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) coordination committee decision was informed by the transmission operators of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – PSE, Litigrid, AST and Elering. The exact amount of funding is €719.7 million. The funding will have a maximum of 75% of the project value.

For Harmony Link it will amount to EUR 493 million, EUR 166.5 million will be allocated to the construction of so-called synchronous compensations in the Baltic States. The rest will help expand the transmission network in four countries. In total, EU funding for the synchronisation project has already exceeded EUR 1 billion. The synchronisation of Baltic States' systems with CEN is to take place through Poland by the end of 2025. Harmony Link will be the second after the ground-based LitPol Link to connect Polish and Baltic systems.

As Litgridu President Daivis Virbickas recalled, preparations for the construction of Harmony Link have already begun, as has the process of purchasing compensators. "We are doing everything to ensure the smooth progress of this megaproject during the COVID epidemic," Virbickas stressed.

Head of Estonian Elerig Taavi Veskiägi estimated that, once the funds have been provided, operators could devote their full attention to the implementation of the investment so that, as planned, they could be ready to synchronise by the end of 2025.

The fact that not only the first, but also the second phase of the synchronisation project received the maximum, 75% co-financing, shows that this is a very important issue not only for the Baltic region, but also for the whole of Europe – the president of Latvian AST Varis Boxes assessed. This also proves the successful cooperation of all Baltic and Polish countries," added Boxes.

According to the head of the European Commission, Ursuli von den Layen, the whole project is groundbreaking, and for the Polish-Lithuanian cable it is difficult to come up with a better name than "Harmony".

Synchronisation will reduce the excessive dependence of the Baltic region on one source of energy imports, and in full harmony it will connect it with the rest of the European Union," said von den Layen in Brussels.

"This project is good for combining Europe, good for our energy security and for the European Green Deal. It shows that in this Union, no matter where you are on the map, you are always in the heart of Europe," said the head of the EC.

As she added, in future, new offshore energy connections will supply electricity from renewable sources to all Baltic countries. She referred to the eight states and the EC signed in Szczecin on Wednesday, which she welcomed.
"Energy is a pillar of security and a pillar of economic cooperation, and we have to do everything we can to achieve energy objectives together," he said. The signing of the agreement was identified as an important step to help overcome the energy isolation of the Baltic States.

"This is how we show solidarity with the Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. This is also a very important step forward in terms of energy cooperation. Energy is a very important economic factor. Security of energy supply sources is a prerequisite for the stability and strength of our region," Morawiecki added.

Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said that the EU should "do everything in its power to make our system independent from third countries."

Państwa członkowskie UE uzgodniły w czwartek propozycję Komisji dotyczącą zainwestowania 998 mln euro w kluczowe europejskie projekty dotyczące infrastruktury energetycznej w ramach instrumentu „Łącząc Europę” (CEF). Najwięcej środków – 720 mln euro – przeznaczono na Baltic Synchronization Project, który ma zintegrować rynki energii elektrycznej Estonii, Łotwy, Litwy i Polski poprzez interkonektor.

Nowe środki zostaną przeznaczone przede wszystkim na budowę Harmony Link – kabla elektroenergetycznego łączącego Polskę i Litwę przez Morze Bałtyckie. Kabel stanie się elementem składowym przyszłej sieci morskiej na Morzu Bałtyckim.

Source: PAP