Utility Ignitis Group has taken a final investment decision (FID) on three large-scale battery storage projects in Lithuania.

State-owned utility and power generator Eesti Energia has completed and put into commercial operation the first large-scale BESS in Estonia.

IPP E energija Group has started building what it claims is the largest ‘private’ BESS project in Lithuania, a few weeks after the Baltic region decoupled from Russia’s electricity grid.

Latvia state-owned utility and power generation firm Latvenergo intends to deploy 250MW/500MWh of BESS in the next five years.

Battery storage played a crucial role in the Baltic region’s switch from Russia over to the Continental European grid over the weekend, coinciding with Lithuania launching a €100 million storage support scheme.

The government of Estonia will financially back a 500MW pumped hydro energy storage project to meet the country’s need for long-duration energy storage, as the Baltics prepare to disconnect from Russia’s grid this weekend.

Lithuania can move ahead with a scheme to provide €180 million (US$200 million) in grants to energy storage projects after it was approved by the EU.

News from the Nordics and the Baltics, with BESS projects launched in Sweden, Denmark and Latvia by Centrica, Nordic Solar and Niam Infrastructure and Evecon.

We hear from utility Eesti Energia about its 25MW/50MWh BESS project in Estonia, including what it hopes to achieve with the project and why it needed a second procurement to launch the project.