Security of electricity supply

We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure security of supply throughout Estonia – the power system must be operational without interruption and ensure that the lights are on at all times. Elering divides security of supply into four pillars: system adequacy, i.e. the existence of power plants, network adequacy, i.e. a sufficiently “thick wire”, system reliability, i.e. the ability to control the system, and cybersecurity.

• In the case of system adequacy, expected consumption is covered by local production, import and consumption management options.
• Network adequacy means that the transmission system ensures that energy reaches consumption centres.
• System reliability means the ability to keep the power system operating as a whole and cope with various interruptions and emergencies.
• Cybersecurity means the ability to prevent cyber threats in an increasingly digital energy system.

To ensure a high level of security of supply, it is important to simultaneously and strongly implement all four pillars of security of supply.

The four pillars of security of supply

How is system capacity assessed?

There are three important steps in ensuring the capacity of the power system:

1. Establishing a security of supply standard based on an estimated socially acceptable balance between the costs of energy not provided and the investment costs of new capacity
2. Long-term assessment of the capacity of the power system
3. If it turns out that the actual situation is worse than Estonia’s security of supply standard, the State can implement a capacity mechanism, which is state aid to electricity producers so that they can provide the necessary capacity.

Assessment of system capacity

Security of supply analyses

Security of supply reports and current analyses can be found under the respective years. Supporting studies and important inputs can also be found on the page “Measures to ensure security of supply”.