Elering to enter into an agreement to produce a gas pipe for Balticconnector

On 4 January, the Estonian electricity and gas system operator Elering and Finnish state-owned company Baltic Connector OY signed an agreement with the Greek company Corinth Pipeworks Pipe Industry SA for the production of the offshore part of the Balticconnector gas pipe.

The pipeline will be produced by the end of 2018 at the contractor’s facility in Greece. In total, 6,500 pipeline segments will be produced, which after being welded will together form an almost 80 km-long offshore part of the Balticconnector. According to the timetable of the project, the pipe will be laid in 2019.

The agreement signed is one of the most substantial in constructing the offshore part of the Balticconnector between Estonia and Finland, which keeps the project on schedule and ensures all of the necessary materials for the installation of the offshore part of the gas pipe.

Balticconnector will connect the Estonian and Finnish natural gas networks with a 150 km-long transmission pipeline, of which 80 km will run on the seabed. Compression stations will be built in both countries to transport gas. Together with upgrades to the Estonia-Latvia gas connection, the entire Balticconnector project will cost almost 300 million euros. The European Union will support the project with more than 200 million euros.