Tuesday 12 June 2018

The start of Balticconnector’s construction phase is celebrated on 8th of June 2018 in Inkoo on the compressor station worksite with the Groundbreaking Ceremony. The event brings together decision-makers, constructors, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders who are an important part of the project and have made it possible for the project to progress to the construction phase on schedule.

The Groundbreaking Ceremony is attended also by the European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing of Finland Kimmo Tiilikainen, and Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure of Estonia Kadri Simson.

Gas infrastructure for creating a competitive gas market

Balticconnector is a gas pipeline that connects Finland and Estonia and links the Finnish and Baltic gas markets, enabling their integration with the EU’s common energy market. The Balticconnector gas pipeline project plays a major role in the energy strategies of Finland and the EU and improves regional security of supply by diversifying gas sources. The project creates a framework for market opening and growth and enables the use of alternative sources, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biogas.

The total cost of the project is EUR 250 million. The project would not have proceeded without considerable support from the EU. In August 2016, the European Commission granted funding of EUR 187.5 million to the project, covering 75% of the project’s funding.

Opening of the natural gas market in Finland in 2020 enables competition, bringing new actors to the branch. As the Balticconnector gas pipeline is bi-directional, it enables also the export of gas products.

Good cooperation is the project’s cornerstone

Baltic Connector Oy is responsible for the Finnish part of the project, and Elering AS for the Estonian part. Both companies are wholly owned by the Finnish and the Estonian states. The offshore Balticconnector pipeline is constructed from Inkoo in Finland to Paldiski in Estonia. The Balticconnector project will comprise the construction of pipelines, stations, and systems to connect the existing gas networks in Finland and Estonia.

21 kilometres of the pipeline will be constructed in Finland, 77 kilometres under the sea, and 55 kilometres in Estonia. The gas pipeline is bi-directional, and its transmission capacity is 7.2 million cubic metres of gas per day. The pipeline route takes account of the area’s current and future land use, planning, and environmental considerations. It is based on minimising the impact of any adverse effects on people, organisms, and the environment during the construction and operation of the pipeline.