In Finland, the construction of new electricity transmission connections to Sweden and Estonia is planned.
After Russia launched a large-scale war of aggression in Ukraine, no more electricity from Russia has been brought to Finland. There are significant cross-border connections from Finland to Northern and Central Sweden and Estonia. Currently, connections to Sweden are being maintained, which in part affects the price of electricity in Finland, when Olkiluoto 2 is also unexpectedly subject to maintenance work.
Fingrid’s head of strategic network planning Mikko Heikkilä says that the maintenance work on the transmission connections will last until the end of September and will continue in parts even in October.
“But now they are made outside the heating season precisely because they don’t need to be made in the winter season,” says Heikkilä in the Markkinaraati program.
A new Aurora transmission connection is currently being built between Northern Finland and Northern Sweden, which is supposed to be in use by the end of next year.
“And then on the planning table we already have the following connections. So we are actually planning the next one, let’s talk about the second Aurora line, with the Swedes. We are aiming there around the mid-2030s. And then we are also planning a new connection with the Estonians in the direction of Estonia,” says Heikkilä.
“These transmission connections are really important for Finland. We are here in the corner of Europe, and especially in this new situation of world politics, even more strongly in the corner.”
At the same time, Heikkilä emphasizes that Finland’s desire to build a cable alone is not enough to complete it, but another neighbor must also see it as useful.
Consumers’ Union general secretary Juha Beurling-Pomoell says that he comes across questions from time to time about whether cross-border connections to Finland actually only bring a more expensive price level.
“Ordinary people may not always understand this when it is said that Finland is currently technically self-sufficient in electricity, that is, that we have enough electricity for the whole year on average. But I wouldn’t cut these connections either. Yes, many times they have also saved us”, says Beurling-Pomoell.
Fingrid’s Heikkilä points out that Finland has the third cheapest electricity in Europe, which is also a competitive factor for Finland.
Source: www.arvopaperi.fi
