The energy ministers of the European Union have given their green light for synchronization. In addition, Member States are preparing for the possible gas flows from Russia.
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The European Union (EU) will urgently connect its electricity grid to that of Ukraine. The ministers of energy, gathered in Brussels, Monday, February 28, have marked their political agreement at this request from the Ukrainian authorities. “Ukraine must be able to defend themselves and allow its population to cope with the Russian invasion. Ukraine needs energy,” said Barbara Pompili, French Minister of the Ecological Transition, at the end of the meeting. Ukraine risks a blackout of its electrical system whose consequences could be catastrophic in full Russian invasion.
This connection is far from a new idea, it has been preparing since the mid-2000s. “But it lacked a political will to proceed to acts,” explains Simone Tagliapietra, Think Tank Bruegel. The war has accelerated the movement. The day of the Russian invasion, Ukraine proceeded to a long-standing test, to prepare the synchronization of the networks, programmed for 2023. The country is “disconnacted” then from the Russian network to function in isolation, so on its own capacities. The Ukrainian authorities did not want to return to the Russian network at the end of the exercise – invasion oblige – and therefore sent this urgent request to the European Union.
Today, while Ukraine lives in “isolation” electric, the ball is in the European network of electricity transmission network managers (ENTSO-E). It is he who will evaluate the technical feasibility of the operation and the disturbances that could cause this connection on the European electrical system, for example if Ukrainian electric infrastructures were damaged during bombing. “But ENTSO-E believes that this connection is possible and will help Ukraine put it in place,” said Kadri Simson, European energy commissioner. It could take place here “a few days or weeks,” she added.
The challenge of energy independence
The other great “concern” of the European ministers concerned Russian gas addiction, which provides 43% of the gas imported by the European Union. A dependency that “finances military aggression”, as Josep Borrell has also recalled, the High EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Russia could very well interrupt the gas flows to the European Union. Barbara Pompili wanted reassuring: “In the immediate future, there is no risk for security of supply.” First because the volumes of gas from Russia have already declined for several months. Then, because the winter is, for the moment, relatively mild, so the energy needs are lower.
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