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"The tests of isolated operations will bring us as close as never before to the condition that the electricity system will undergo during desynchronization from IPS/UPS (Integrated Power System/Unified power system of Russia) and preparations for synchronization with networks of continental Europe. We are currently part of a large electricity system IPS/UPS and is highly dependent on other players, namely, Russia and Belarus. For instance, the frequency of all these systems is controlled in a centralized manner from Moscow. During the testing, we will check the potential of the infrastructure to manage the frequency and control the situation fully independently," Daivis Virbickas, CEO of the power transmission system operator Litgrid, said in a press release.

According to the communique, the Baltic states will limit ties with Russia and Belarus during the tests. The electricity needs in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will be ensured by their own power production sources and high-voltage interconnections with the Nordic countries. Balance and frequency of the systems will be ensured independently.

Erika Brazaityte, manager of communication projects at Litgrid, told that the study should be drafted by the fall, with tests conducted in 2018. In mid-2016, the plan was to complete the tests by 2018.

The Baltic states have agreed to disconnect from the Russian BRELL power ring by 2025. Lithuania has suggested synchronization via Poland, while Estonia recently proposed the idea of synchronizing the grid via Finland.