The Finnish state-owned natural gas transmission system operator Gasgrid has announced that the 2.6 bcm/year Balticconnector subsea gas pipeline, linking Finland and Estonia, has resumed commercial operations, seven months after being severely damaged by a vessel anchor in early October 2023.
The Balticconnector is an 80-km long undersea gas pipeline that connects Finland via Paldiski (Estonia) and Inkoo (Finland) and is jointly operated by Estonian electricity and gas system operator Elering and Gasgrid (at 50% each). The gas pipeline has an original northbound capacity ranging from 55 to 60 GWh/d in winter and 65 GWh/d in summer. Gasgrid aims to increase the Estonia-Finland gas flows to 70.5 GWh/d by the end of 2024. The gas pipeline can also export 78 GWh/d of gas from Finland to Estonia.
The pipeline is of critical importance for the gas supply of both countries, particularly since Russia’s Gazprom cut gas supplies to Finland in May 2022.