EU to provide 100 mln euros in building a second submarine cable between Estonia, Finland
12.07.2010, 16:05The European Commission decided today to allocated 100 million euros for the construction of Estlink 2, a new submarine transmission cable between Estonia and Finland, a project by Fingrid and Elering, the electricity transmission system operators in Finland and Estonia. The capacity of the new link costing a total of approx. 320 million euros is 650 megawatts, and it is due to be commissioned in early 2014.
The Commission said the transmission connection between Finland and Estonia was very important, which is why it granted the subsidy. The subsidy is part of a broader recovery package of the EU, aiming to stimulate economic activity in the Union and also support the strategic energy policy objectives. In this way, one of the two conditions imposed by the Board of Directors of Fingrid in its investment decision of 19 May 2010 has been fulfilled. The final execution of the project still requires that the recently-opened electricity market in Estonia continues to develop favourably.
The preliminary planning of the project together with Elering has progressed on schedule. The environmental, nature and water ecology studies as well as the seabed survey were completed in the early part of 2010.
The permit applications were delivered to the authorities in the spring of 2010, and inquiries to submit quotations for the converter stations, cable, transmission line and substations have been sent. The goal is to sign the contracts with the suppliers in 2010. Forest and earthwork at the Anttila substation in Finland will commence in the autumn of 2010 so that the targeted schedule can be kept.