Having installed the first pylons for the new transmission line ‘Third Latvia/Estonia interconnection’ in Rūjiena Municipality, AS ‘Augstsprieguma tīkls’ (AST) has begun the implementation of the project, with construction of new 330 kV transmission line from the Riga CHP-2 substation in Latvia to the Kilingi-Nōmme substation in Estonia. 

‘The new “Third Latvia/Estonia interconnection” is an important step towards Latvia’s energy independence, improving the reliability of power supply in the region, and towards a more efficient electricity market, with possibility to increase the cross-border trading on the Baltic region, which is currently limited due to a lack of transmission capacity on cross-border between Latvia and Estonia. In the last three years, the congestion level at the Latvian/Estonian border has been 30%, while the average annual price difference between Latvia and Estonia is about 3 EUR/MWh. We expect the transmission capacity to increase by 500/600 MW in both directions,’ AST board member Arnis Staltmanis pointed out.

‘We are happy to be given this opportunity to implement such an important project. This is an international project, as all three Baltic States are involved in its development; interestingly, that construction of transmission line is preparing by a general partnership of companies from Latvia, Estonia and Poland,’ ‘EE-LV Interconnection’ project manager Kaspars Sants pointed out.

In Latvia the length of power transmission line will be over 176 kilometres, while the number of pylons will exceed 500. The transmission line with new route of approximately 28 kilometres will be constructed from the Estonian border to the existing 110kV transmission line between Rūjiena and Aloja and then will continue during the the existing 110 kV line route passing Aloja, Limbaži and Skulte till Saulkrasti. From Saulkrasti, the line will be constructed in the same corridor with railway project Rail Baltica.

Construction of the project is preparing by the constructors community ‘EE-LV Interconnection’, which is winner of tendering procedure, and proposed to construct such projetc for 74.3 million euros, where 65% of the construction costs will be co-financed from EU by the Connecting Europe Facility grant. The project includes the construction of the transmission line, and extension of the Riga CHP-2 substation. The other part of the costs will be covered using the congestion revenues income collected by AST.

The constructor community consists of several constructors: Elko – limited liability company registered in Latvia, the SELPOL joint stock company registered in Poland, and the LEONHARD WEISS ENERGY joint stock company registered in Estonia.

For a more detailed description of the project, see http://www.ast.lv/en/transmission-network-projects/latvia-estonia-third-interconnection 

Video about the project (Latvian)

Timelapse video