Elering has completed the substations supplying electricity to Balticconnector

Elering has completed a new substation in Kiini, Viljandi County, and a substation expansion in Paldiski, which are required in order to supply electricity to the Puiatu and Paldiski compressor stations of the Balticconnector Estonian-Finnish gas interconnection.

In Kiini, Elering built an entirely new 110/20 kilovolt substation along with a new 110/20 kilovolt transformer. In the Paldiski substation of Elering, a new 110/20 kilovolt cluster along with a new 110/20 kilovolt transformer was built. In the course of the work pertaining to the electricity connections of Balticconnector, several low- and medium voltage connections for gas metering and regulating stations were also created.

An approximately five-kilometre underground cable line with a voltage of 20 kilovolts had to be built for connecting both the Puiatu and Paldiski compressor stations with substations. One kilometer of road was reconstructed in the vicinity of the Kiini substation.

Elering organised a public procurement in cooperation with the distribution network operator Elektrilevi for building the substations. The new Kiini substation and the expansion of the Paldiski substation can also be used for improving the security of supply of the customers of Elektrilevi. Merko Infra performed the construction and reconstruction work of both substations. In total, the cost of the work exceeded two million euros.

The construction work of the Kiini and Paldiski substations, as well as other investments related to Balticconnector, is co-financed by the European Union.

The construction of the overland and submarine pipeline of the Balticconnector project is reaching the final stages. Major work still ongoing includes the construction of the Puiatu and Paldiski compressor stations and the construction of the Kiili pressure reducing station. Balticconnector will begin operating in the beginning of 2020 when the joint Finnish-Estonian-Latvian gas market commences activities.