Elering considers northwest Estonia as Estlink 3 cable's landing site

Estonia's power system operator Elering has requested a superficies permit for the construction of Estonia's third power link to Finland dubbed Estlink 3 in Lääne-Nigula Municipality in northwestern Estonia.
"We have analyzed different locations for the Estlink 3 [undersea power cable] and consider northwest Estonia to be the most promising. It is sensible to construct the new link as far away from its predecessors as possible, following safety considerations. The [northwest] location of the cable would be able to guarantee a strong power link for the western islands and potential offshore wind developments in the region," Elering CEO Kalle Kilk said.
The Estlink 1 cable makes landfall near Harku and Estlink 2 near Püssi.
Estlink 3 has a planned throughput capacity of 700 megawatts, Elering said.
The investment decision for the third undersea power link could be made in the second half of the decade, following the end of the planning phase. Estlink 3 could be completed in the middle of the next decade.
The exact location of the cable and where it exits the sea is subject to change in the course of the permit proceedings. Elering's permit application does not deal with terrestrial parts of Estlink 3 infrastructure for which a separate planning process will be initiated in the future.
Prior to launching Estlink 3, power lines will need to be strengthened in other parts of Estonia.
The are two direct current links between Estonia and Finland known as the Estlink 1 (350 megawatts) and Estlink 2 (650 megawatts) cables, built in 2006 and 2014 respectively. Estlink 2 is currently out of commission due to an unknown malfunction.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski