President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, approved financing of 30 million euros for developing Elering’s network within the framework of the Estonian recovery and resilience plan.
“In order to assist the Republic of Estonia in achieving climate goals, Elering has the opportunity to use the resources of the European recovery plan in its investments for improving the security of supply of the Western Estonian region and lowering the environmental footprint,” said Kalle Kilk, Member of the Management Board and Head of Asset Management of Elering.
The supported package includes reinforcement measures for the 110-kilovolt network in Western Estonia, which increases the capacity of the network and improves the security of supply of the region.
“110-kilovolt power lines approaching the 330-kilovolt network from the islands and Lääne County are currently a major impediment when it comes to improving dispersed renewable energy and are in need of significant reinforcement,” explained Mr Kilk. “The investment means that we can improve the capacity of the existing overhead transmission lines and replace low-capacity lines that are in an inferior condition.”
The most significant benefit for the security of supply is the construction of lines feeding the islands on separate masts. Presently, there is a potential hazard of the interruption of the entire supply of electricity to the islands should the double-circuit line be switched off. The investments to be made will improve the resistance of the 110-kilovolt network to weather conditions with regard to impact arising from icy conditions and high temperatures.