Three quarters of Saaremaa's electricity network now weatherproofed
By 2030, three quarters of Estonia's electricity grid should be weatherproof, with Saaremaa having already reached that target. Following the power cuts in December 2022, the Estonian state and Elektrilevi injected €13 million into the Saaremaa electricity grid.
The section of the line damaged by a snowstorm on Saaremaa in December 2022 has since been cleared of branches. However, now, electricity will soon be supplied via underground cables there, with similar installation work having also taken place in a number of other locations across Saaremaa in recent years. Last year, a total of 130 kilometers of power lines on Saaremaa were weatherproofed.
"This is where extra state funds are helping. We remember well the snowy winter of 2022, and we also remember that the government came to the rescue by giving €13 million. By the end of this year, that money will have been invested in Hiiumaa and Saaremaa," said Mihkel Härm, head of Elektrilevi.
While Saaremaa is currently the topic of heated disputes and confrontations over Elering's planned 330-kilovolt lines, Elektrilevi has been quietly going about developing its own network on the island. Half of Saaremaa currently receives electricity via a 35-kilovolt line.
In five to ten years' time, however, the whole of Saaremaa's grid will be covered by a 110-kilovolt line, providing more opportunities for electricity consumers and producers alike.
"Once all this investment in the western ring has been done, there will be no major concerns from Elektrilevi's point of view. There is still electricity capacity for both consumption and generation. If we are talking about large offshore wind farms, then there is not enough for them. For them, a new 330-kilovolt line will need to be built. This is something Elering is cuurrently designing and wants to build," Härm said.
A submarine cable with even higher capacity will also be installed between Hiiumaa and Saaremaa this year, adding significant capacity to the Hiiumaa electricity grid. In Estonia as a whole, Elektrilevi is investing €130 million in network maintenance this year, but this amount will start to decrease in the coming years.
"In 2025, our planned investments amount to €130 million. If we look at 2026, we are tens of millions short of that, so the number is lower. The concern is that we want to invest €1.6 billion in the Estonian network over the next 10 years to do the necessary work. However, the network fee will only allow us to do €800 million over the next 10 years, so half the money is lacking," Härm said.
---
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marko Tooming, Michael Cole
