Elering launches construction on third Estonia-Latvia power connection

Last week, construction activity on the third Estonia-Latvia power connection being established by Elering kicked off near Pärnu.

In the course of the works, Empower AS and Leonhard Weiss Energy AS will build, in stages, a new line running from Sindi to Audru, and from there on via Lihula, Kullamaa, Risti and Riisipere to Harku substation on the outskirts of Tallinn.

The total length of the line will be approximately 175 kilometres. The line will have 330-kilovolt and 110-kilovolt conductors for its entire length. The line will be supported by 460 pylons. The line passes through nine local government units and, including branch lines, crosses 850 plots of land. The cost of the works will be 60 million euros.

The second part of the third Estonia-Latvia power connection will comprise a 330-kilovolt, 14-kilometre line starting from Kilingi-Nõmme substation and running to the Estonia-Latvia border. A public procurement is currently under way for the construction of this line, and eight tenderers have qualified to bid. The winner of the procurement and exact price of the works are planned to be determined in the next few months.

Renovation and construction related to the third Estonia-Latvia power connection project will be taking place in five substations – Harku, Riisipere, Kullamaa, Sindi and Kilingi-Nõmme. The new high-voltage lines and works in substations for the Estonia-Latvia power connection are planned to be completed by the end of 2020.

The establishment of the third Estonia-Latvia power connection is a key precondition for synchronizing the Baltic states with continental Europe's electricity system. The connection will also lay better possibilities for connecting renewable energy production capacities in Western Estonia to the grid.

Elering is funding the construction of the third Estonia-Latvia connection from the proceeds of auctions of cross-border transmission capacity and Europe Union funds. Funding from Estonian power consumers will not be used in this project.