Title: Baltics Assured of Electricity Supply Amid Baltic Sea Cable Incidents; Repair Work Estimated to Last Until 2025
Latvia’s Prime Minister, Evika Siliņa, has confirmed that Baltic countries currently have sufficient electricity generation capacity, despite recent incidents involving Baltic Sea cables. The latest incident occurred on the EstLink 2 cable between Estonia and Finland, prompting a response from authorities and energy providers.
"The Baltics are currently in a position of strength, with adequate electricity generation capacity," Siliņa remarked, while acknowledging the challenges posed by repeated incidents in the Baltic Sea. She revealed that Latvia is prepared to offer assistance if requested by its Baltic neighbors, with coordination ongoing among government leaders to ensure security in the Baltic Sea.
While the EstLink 2 cable remains out of service, the EstLink 1 cable continues to operate, connecting Estonia and Finland with a capacity of 350 MW. Latvia’s Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM) has confirmed that the power outage has not affected Latvia’s electricity supply.
The cause of the EstLink 2 cable damage is still under investigation, with a preliminary estimation suggesting that repairs could take until 2025. The Estonian and Finnish power grid operators are continuing diagnostics, with the precise location of the damage expected to refine the repair timeline.
KEM has acknowledged that a tanker, the ‘Eagle S’ flying under the flag of the Cocos Islands, is suspected of causing the damage. The vessel is reported to be missing one anchor and has been detained in Finnish territorial waters while the incident is investigated.
Latvia’s Minister of Climate and Energy, Kaspars Melnis, emphasized that the country has sufficient generating capacity, natural gas reserves, and interconnection capacity to meet domestic demand. Meanwhile, the Minister of Economics, Viktors Valainis, and ‘Latvenergo’ have scheduled an unscheduled technical inspection of the TEC1 and TEC2 power plants on December 27 at 10:00 AM to ensure all equipment is functioning correctly and ready to provide necessary power.
Although Melnis acknowledges the potential impact of cable repair work on electricity market prices, he remains confident in Latvia’s ability to meet domestic demand. He forecasts that electricity prices may become more volatile in situations where the production of renewable energy is low, emphasizing the importance of self-sufficient energy production.
In response to the incident, the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) have reinforced monitoring of critical undersea infrastructure and are actively exchanging information with partner countries. The Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the NBS have strengthened Baltic Sea monitoring and that the Navy regularly inspects critical infrastructure.
President of Latvia, Egils Levits, expressed concern about the incident, stating that it is unlikely to be a coincidence. He called for better protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
While the EstLink 2 cable remains out of service, the impact on consumers in Estonia and Finland is minimal, with power grid operators routing electricity through alternative connections. However, the incident highlights the importance of maintaining and protecting critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
The EstLink 2 cable, which has a capacity of 650 MW, connects the electricity grids of Estonia and Finland. Damages to the cable in 2009 and 2015 led to significant power outages in both countries, emphasizing the cable’s importance for energy security in the Baltic region.
