The final stage of a high voltage electricity transmission station providing an 'energy bridge' between Poland and Lithuania was officially opened on Thursday near Siedlce in eastern Poland.

LitPol, as the bridge is called, is a power grid interconnector that will bridge the two countries’ transmission grids and open them to the Western European electricity network.

In 2015 another power interconnector – the NordBalt, a Lithuanian-Swedish electricity link – is also being launched.

The two power bridges are expected to drive down Lithuania's electricity prices on the Nord Pool Power Exchange.

Recent events mainly in Ukraine have raised questions about the condition of energy security for the EU and individual member states.

The project is being implemented by Lithuanian and Polish power grid operators, Litgrid and Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE), respectively. The project’s implementation is being coordinated by LitPol Link Sp. z o.o, a Lithuanian-Polish company.

Thursday’s unveiling saw the third and final station built in the strategic project. Measuring 89 km, the 400 kV transmission connects the European energy market and the Baltic Sea countries - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechociński at the opening ceremony stressed that the project reinforces the European Union’s moves towards an energy union.

"In 2010-2015 we spent only PLN 4.5 billion on high voltage networks and by 2020 we plan to spend PLN 7.5 billion," Piechociński said, adding that since 2010 Poland has built over 600 km of new high-voltage lines and modernised twice as much.

The opening was also attended by a representative of the Directorate General of the European Energy Commission. Wolfgang Munch emphasised that the transmission infrastructure built by Poland and Lithuania “is an investment strategy, serving the security and sustainability of energy supply and competitiveness of the EU market.”

The total cost of the construction of the energy bridge is reportedly PLN 1.8 billion, with almost PLN 870 million from EU funds.

PSE President Henryk Majchrzak said the bridge represented more than half of total investments between the two EU neighbours and that the investment was planned to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The project secured a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and EUR 4.34 million from the EU’s trans-European energy networks (TEN-E) programme.

Polish-Lithuanian energy cooperation also consists of construction of a gas pipeline between the two countries. (jh)