Country Finland
Estonia From Ingå, Finland Type natural gas Partner Elering | General direction north–south–north To Paldiski, Estonia Diameter 51 cm Passes through Gulf of Finland | |
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Partners Elering
Baltic Connector OY | ||
Balticconnector is a bi-directional natural gas pipeline project between Ingå, Finland and Paldiski, Estonia, which will connect Estonian and Finnish gas grids. It will assist ensuring security of gas supply in the region for both sides of the Gulf of Finland. The pipeline will provide for Finland an access to the Latvia's natural gas storage in Inčukalns. In addition, the pipeline will enable construction of the regional liquefied natural gas terminal.
Contents
Majandus ja taristuminister rail balticust balticconnectorist ja lng terminalist
History
The project was proposed by the Finnish natural gas company Gasum in cooperation with Eesti Gaas of Estonia. After implementation of the EU third energy package, EG Võrguteenus, a former subsidiary of Eesti Gaas, replaced the latter. Later EG Võrguteenus was acquired by, and became a part of the Estonian transmission system operator Elering.
In October 2015, Gasum abandoned the project due to commercial viability. It was replaced by the Finnish state-owned company Baltic Connector OY. The construction agreement was signed between Elering and Baltic Connector on 17 October 2016.
The feasibility study was completed in May 2007. A preliminary environmental impact assessment programme was done in 2010. In 2010, the European Commission financed the investigation of possibilities to create more diversified natural gas grid within the Baltic Sea Region, which included also the Balticconnector project. The seabed studies started in November 2013.
Technical description
The project consist 82 kilometres (51 mi) of a bi-directional offshore pipeline between Ingå in Finland and Paldiski in Estonia, 22 kilometres (14 mi) of onshore pipeline in Finland, 47 kilometres (29 mi) of onshore pipeline in Estonia, metering and compressor stations in Ingå and in Kersalu, Estonia. The offshore part will be operated jointly by Elering and Baltic Connector, while on-shore sections of the pipeline will be developed separately by each party. Originally, there was also a proposal for alternative 140-kilometre (87 mi) long route from Vuosaari (district of Helsinki] to Paldiski.
The offshore section and the Finnish onshore section will use DN500 pipe with an operating pressure of 80 bars (8,000 kPa). The Estonian onshore section will use DN700 pipe with an operating pressure of 55 bars (5,500 kPa). In Estonia the pipeline will be connected to the existing DN700 transmission pipeline from Latvia, which will be enhanced. The capacity of pipeline will be 2 billion cubic metres per annum (71 billion cubic feet per annum). It would cost €250 million, of which 187.5 million is financed by the European Commission. It would be operational by 2020.