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Elering gained control of the natural gas transmission system in January 2015. The gas transmission network operated until the end of the same year under the name of Elering Gaas AS. Since the beginning of 2016, Elering has combined the electricity and gas transmission networks into one company and has continued operations as a united system operator. 

Transmission network

The Estonian gas transmission network comprises 977 km of gas pipeline, 36 gas distribution stations, three gas-metering stations, two compressor stations and one gas regulation station*.

At the gas-metering stations, measurements are made of the volume and quality of the gas entering the gas transmission network. At the gas distribution stations, the pressure of the gas coming from the transmission network and entering the distribution networks is lowered, measurement and aromatisation take place, and the consumption regime agreed with the clients is ensured.

According to the Natural Gas Act, the gas transmission network comprises gas pipelines with an operational pressure of more than 16 bar and the permanent structures as well as all management, safety, connective and measuring system equipment required for the transmission system’s operations, management and development, which are necessary for gas transmission and for the establishment of connections with the networks of other countries or for gas transit.

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The main developments and investments in the gas transmission network are connected with the development of the regional gas market and the improvement of security of supply. The most important project among these is Balticconnector to connect the Estonian and Finnish gas transmission networks. More detailed information on the transmission network and related developments can be found in the development plan for the gas transmission network for the next ten years (attached).

Development Plan

According to the Natural Gas Act Elering composes annually the ten-year development plan of the gas transmission network.

Summaries of the electricity and gas system

Elering publishes a summary of the electricity and gas system every month on its website, outlining the most important figures from the previous month in the electricity and gas systems and analysing the reason for the changes and their effect. Summaries can be viewed at the information centre

Toleration payment

The gas transmission network is mostly located on land owned by third parties. According to the Law of Property Act, a landowner has the right to apply for toleration payments for technical networks and installations. More information on toleration payments is available here.

* Data updated as of 01.01.2022

Technical capacity is the maximum firm capacity that the transmission system operator (TSO) can offer to network users, by taking system integrity and the operational requirements of the transmission network into account. The technical transmission capacity is calculated and offered to network users at all the relevant entry-exit points of the Estonian natural gas transmission system.

For technical capacity calculation, the entire transmission network and its associated parameters must be taken into account. As the transmission network is a large and complicated system of pipelines, SIMONE software for the gas pipeline hydraulic calculations is used to carry out technical capacity calculations. SIMONE allows a descriptive model of the transmission network to be created and can carry out static and dynamic gas network simulations.

The transmission network model created in SIMONE describes the transmission network and its dynamics as precisely as possible. In creating the network model and conducting the simulation in SIMONE, the following network components and parameters are taken into account:

  • Pressures at the border points
  • Pipe length
  • Pipe diameter
  • Pipe roughness
  • Valve assemblies
  • Regulation assemblies
  • Compressor stations
  • Gas-metering stations (GMS)
  • Gas distribution stations (GDS)
  • Parameters limiting the transmission network (e.g. maximum operating pressure of pipes; GDS minimum pressure; maximum permissible gas velocity in the pipelines)

In addition to transmission network, the calculation of the technical capacity also takes into account gas demand, gas supply scenarios, planned investments and, at the time of the calculation, all the known maintenance works on the pipeline for the upcoming period.

Baltic-Finnish region gas Transmission System Operators (TSOs) including AB Amber Grid, Conexus Baltic Grid AS, Elering AS, and Gasgrid Finland Oy, along with LNG Terminal Operators AB KN Energies and Floating LNG Terminal Finland Oy (LTOs), have collaboratively prepared the Consolidated Maintenance Works plan for the Baltic-Finnish region.

This plan covers the period from October 2024 to December 2025. It includes scheduled maintenance activities for gas transmission systems, LNG terminals, and Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage as well as outlines capacities available to market participants.

Please note that the direction (entry/exit) specified in the document reflects the perspective of the TSO or LTO responsible for the maintenance work. For example, if Elering performs maintenance on the Balticconnector cleaning probe, it limits the entry capacity from Elering's point of view (FIN->EE), which consequently affects the exit direction from Gasgrid's perspective (FIN->EE).

Any further updates to the Consolidated Maintenance Works plan made after June 26, 2024, will be primarily communicated through Urgent Market Messages (UMM).

For the most current updates and technical capacity values, please refer to the ENTSOG Transparency Platform.

To ensure up-to-date information, please follow the following information channels:

ENTSOG Transparency Platform

 

Conexus Baltic Grid

Amber Grid

Elering

 

Technical capacity is the maximum firm capacity that the transmission system operator (TSO) can offer to network users, by taking system integrity and the operational requirements of the transmission network into account. The technical transmission capacity is calculated and offered to network users at all the relevant entry-exit points of the Estonian natural gas transmission system.

For technical capacity calculation, the entire transmission network and its associated parameters must be taken into account. As the transmission network is a large and complicated system of pipelines, SIMONE software for the gas pipeline hydraulic calculations is used to carry out technical capacity calculations. SIMONE allows a descriptive model of the transmission network to be created and can carry out static and dynamic gas network simulations.

The transmission network model created in SIMONE describes the transmission network and its dynamics as precisely as possible. In creating the network model and conducting the simulation in SIMONE, the following network components and parameters are taken into account:

  • Pressures at the border points
  • Pipe length
  • Pipe diameter
  • Pipe roughness
  • Valve assemblies
  • Regulation assemblies
  • Compressor stations
  • Gas-metering stations (GMS)
  • Gas distribution stations (GDS)
  • Parameters limiting the transmission network (e.g. maximum operating pressure of pipes; GDS minimum pressure; maximum permissible gas velocity in the pipelines)

In addition to transmission network, the calculation of the technical capacity also takes into account gas demand, gas supply scenarios, planned investments and, at the time of the calculation, all the known maintenance works on the pipeline for the upcoming period.

Baltic-Finnish region gas Transmission System Operators (TSOs) including AB Amber Grid, Conexus Baltic Grid AS, Elering AS, and Gasgrid Finland Oy, along with LNG Terminal Operators AB KN Energies and Floating LNG Terminal Finland Oy (LTOs), have collaboratively prepared the Consolidated Maintenance Works plan for the Baltic-Finnish region.

This plan covers the period from October 2024 to December 2025. It includes scheduled maintenance activities for gas transmission systems, LNG terminals, and Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage as well as outlines capacities available to market participants.

Please note that the direction (entry/exit) specified in the document reflects the perspective of the TSO or LTO responsible for the maintenance work. For example, if Elering performs maintenance on the Balticconnector cleaning probe, it limits the entry capacity from Elering's point of view (FIN->EE), which consequently affects the exit direction from Gasgrid's perspective (FIN->EE).

Any further updates to the Consolidated Maintenance Works plan made after June 26, 2024, will be primarily communicated through Urgent Market Messages (UMM).

For the most current updates and technical capacity values, please refer to the ENTSOG Transparency Platform.

To ensure up-to-date information, please follow the following information channels:

ENTSOG Transparency Platform

 

Conexus Baltic Grid

Amber Grid

Elering