Fingrid tight lipped about Estlink 2 repair work

The Finnish system operator Fingrid, which is coordinating the repairs of the damaged Estlink 2 submarine cable, told ERR the next underwater operations will take place in February. However, the company declined to comment on whether a repair vessel and the necessary crew have been found.
At the beginning of January, Fingrid said required underwater inspection work had been completed, but efforts to procure a suitable vessel for the Estlink 2 repair work were still ongoing.
Kimmo Nepola, head of Fingrid's submarine cable division, told ERR the next operation at sea is scheduled for February.
"The goal is to cut out the damaged section of the cable and insulate the cable ends so that the cable is ready for repair," he said.
Speaking about the search for a repair vessel, Nepola said progress has been made on the cable repair efforts. However, unfortunately, he could not provide further details at this time.
In addition to the specialized vessel, Fingrid needs to assemble a skilled repair crew.
In January, Nepola said Fingrid has a good understanding of the damage and the work that needs to be carried out. The connection is expected to return to use in August.
The 650-megawatt Estlink 2 transmission cable ceased operation on Christmas Day. Finland has detained the oil tanker Eagle S, which is suspected of damaging the electricity link and several communication cables.
Last year Estlink 2 underwent seven months of repairs which cost approximately €30 million.
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Editor: Helen Wright