Belarus ready to cut transit of electricity to Lithuania and Kaliningrad

Belenergo is not satisfied with Russia’s intention to hold talks only after January 10.

Belarus does not threaten Russia to cut off electricity for clients of Kaliningrad region, Interfax agency was told by Belenergo director general Alyaksei Shyrma on Monday.

“There are interpretations that we are taking measures on limiting transit of Russian electricity, thus interrupting electricity supply of Kaliningrad region of Russia. We would like to refute such an understanding (a statement of ODU Unitarian enterprise, a part of Belenergo),” Shyrma said.

He explained that the factual constraint to consider measures for reducing unsanctioned transit of Russian electricity via Belarus concerns commercial deliveries to the Baltic states.

As said by the interlocutor of the agency, after Ignalina nuclear power station which gave about 80% of electricity by Lithuania was stopped, the volume of electricity supplies to export markets in this country in particular from Russia, should grow. “The higher the volume of commercial supplies via Belenergo network is, the higher the compensation of expenses should be,” A. Shyrma underlined. He told that “losses in the networks are increasing quadratically with increase of power”.

Thus, as Belenergo head noted, the Belarusian side insists on increase of rate for commercial transit of Russian electricity via its network. He noted that “according to the predicted deficit of electricity in Lithuania, a possible growth of electricity supplies through Belarus can be eightfold, and consequently rates for electricity transmission are to grow”.

A. Shyrma underlined that “carrying out unpaid transit via Belarus is unacceptable, and it could only be stopped by cutting of electricity line”. Meanwhile he noted that technically commercial supplies of electricity to Lithuania are connected with supplies of Russian electricity to Kaliningrad region. “If we limit it or cut off lines, it would cause loss to stability of energy supplies of Kaliningrad region clients,” the expert explained. “thus, the Russian company ranks commercial interests in Lithuania higher than interests of reliability for its own consumers,” the director general underlined.

“So far we prefer to reliability of energy delivery to Kaliningrad region, which becomes a hostage of this situation at the expense of adequate compensation of our losses in commercial transmission of Russian electricity to the Baltic countries,” he stated.