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One of two power cables between Estonia, Finland fails for an unknown reason

Two sets of underwater high-voltage direct current power cables connect Finland and Estonia

VILNIUS, December 25. /TASS/. The EstLink 2 power cable, laid on the seabed of the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia, has malfunctioned due to an emergency, the cause of which remains unknown, Estonia’s national transmission system operator, Elering, stated in a press release.

"Today, <...> the direct current connection between Estonia and Finland, EstLink 2, was disconnected due to an emergency. The reason for the shutdown is currently unknown. The Estonian and Finnish operators, Elering and Fingrid, are collaborating to identify the cause of the issue as soon as possible," the release states.

"Estonia's secure power supply is assured. Until the end of tomorrow, Elering will utilize the region’s reserve capacities to compensate for the electricity that would have been supplied via EstLink 2, which are activated in case of such failures, if necessary. If the shutdown extends longer, EstLink 2 will be substituted by other production capacities in the region starting from the day after tomorrow," the company added.

Two sets of underwater high-voltage direct current power cables connect Finland and Estonia. EstLink 1 became operational in 2007, and EstLink 2 was launched in 2014. In 2022, the EstLink 3 project was announced, with completion expected by 2035. EstLink 2 spans over 170 kilometers, with approximately 147 kilometers of the cable laid underwater along the northern part of the Gulf of Finland.

EstLink 2 was out of service in January 2024 and returned to operation only in September.

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