A key subsea transmission line, Estlink 2, connecting Estonia and Finland, experienced a sudden outage on Christmas Day at 12:26 PM, according to Finnish grid operator Fingrid.

The outage halted electricity flow between the two countries, which was reported to be at 658 megawatts from Finland to Estonia at the time of disruption. Investigations into the cause of the failure are ongoing, with sabotage not ruled out, according to Arto Pahkin, Fingrid’s Operations Manager.

Investigation Underway

Fingrid teams are currently examining the fault, with inspections being carried out at substations and along the subsea cable between the Finnish and Estonian ends. Pahkin noted the complexity of the situation:

“It will take several hours to determine the cause. Teams are inspecting the cable route and associated infrastructure on both sides of the Gulf of Finland.”

Estlink 1, a parallel transmission line with a smaller capacity of 350 megawatts, remains operational.

Impact on Electricity Supply

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reassured citizens via the social media platform X, stating that the disruption does not impact Finland’s electricity supply.

“Authorities remain vigilant, even during Christmas, and are investigating the matter,” Orpo wrote.

The disruption is also not expected to significantly affect electricity prices in Finland, as clarified by Jukka Relander, Communications Manager at Finnish Energy, an industry interest group.

“Estlink 2 is predominantly an export cable for Finland. Its failure will likely not impact electricity prices significantly,” said Relander.

Significance of Estlink 2

The Estlink 2 cable, with a transmission capacity of 650 megawatts, is a vital component of the European electricity grid, facilitating cross-border power exchange between Finland and Estonia. Pahkin emphasized the importance of ensuring uninterrupted service for such links to maintain the stability of the European energy system.

This incident comes after several months of maintenance-related closure earlier this year, highlighting the cable’s vulnerability and the critical nature of these connections.

Authorities in both countries are working closely to resolve the situation, with updates expected as investigations progress.