At the beginning of November, Enefit Power was confident that, with favorable electricity prices, the Balti Power Plant could be restarted and brought to market in December. For Narva, this would mean cheaper heating, as district heating prices for residents will rise by 1.5 times starting December 1 if gas heating is used.

However, a recent special audit of Eesti Energia revealed that emission limit values had also been exceeded at the Balti Power Plant. Additionally, the plant's monitoring systems must be ensured to be reliable before it can be restarted.

According to Enefit Power CEO Lauri Karp, the plan to restart the plant is still in place, but it can now only proceed in collaboration with the Environmental Board.

"Our interest is to put the Balti Power Plant into a longer operational regime, and we want to ensure that the existing monitoring equipment and filters allow us to operate the plant for those famous 2,600 hours," Karp explained.

"We are in very close contact with the Environmental Board, the Ministry of Climate and the Ministry of Finance to coordinate actions and clarify the environmental permit conditions so that the Balti Power Plant fits within the limits of the current legislation. We have a clear understanding of where a solution can be found."

The Balti Power Plant could still operate for 2,600 hours before requiring a major overhaul.

Enefit Power estimates that the Balti Power Plant should be kept operational in the coming winters until a new heating solution is found for Narva. The city is unlikely to have a more efficient district heating plant before the fall of 2028 at the earliest.

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