Elering is building a second submarine cable in the Väike Strait, which will free Väinatamm from the overhead line

AS Connecto Eesti won Elering's public tender for the construction of the second high voltage submarine cable in the Väike Strait with a bid of 7.3 million euros. Once the cable is completed, the dam between Muhumaa and Saaremaa will be freed from the approximately 60-year-old high voltage overhead line this autumn.

"The new submarine cable increases the supply security of the large islands, which in turn makes the Väinatamm area safer for local as well as migratory birds; the strengthened electricity grid alongside the improvement of renewable energy connection conditions will contribute to meeting Estonia's renewable energy targets" said Taavi Veskimängi, Chairperson of Elering's Board.

The overall length of the second 110-kilovolt submarine cable in the Väike Strait is approximately seven kilometres, five of which are located specifically in the sea. The cable connects the overhead line ending on the west coast of Muhu Island with the Orissaare substation in Saaremaa. The cable installation is scheduled to take place in Summer 2024 and the entire project, which includes the elimination of the obsolete overhead line in Väinatamm, will be completed by Autumn 2024.

The second submarine cable will be located north-west of the first cable. The new cable has the same technical specifications as the first submarine cable that was installed in the Väike Strait in 2019.

The construction of the second submarine cable in the Väike Strait is partly financed by the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Elering built the first submarine cable between Muhu and Saaremaa in 2019. That allowed them to dismantle one of the overhead lines from the Väinatamm masts. Meanwhile, Elering designated the remaining overhead lines with markers, which in turn made the line more visible to birds, thereby making it safer for them.