A possible leak has put the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland out of commission. The undersea pipeline experienced a pressure drop in the wee hours of Sunday, which prompted system operators on both sides to cut off the gas, Estonian TSO Elering said.
The cause of the problem is unknown, and both countries’ transmission system operators have said they aim to ascertain the circumstances as soon as possible.
Elering said that shutting off Balticconnector will not affect Estonia’s natural gas supply as it will simply reach Estonian consumers through Latvia.
Finnish gas system operator Gasgrid said that the pressure started to drop a little before 2 a.m., Reuters reported.
But it was also said that Finland’s gas supply remained stable Sunday morning and was being ensured with the help of the Inkoo LNG terminal.
The pipeline was sending gas from Finland to Estonia at the time of the closure. Most of the gas that was coming to Estonia was moving on to Latvia.
The undersea portion of Balticconnector runs for 77 kilometers between Paldiski in Estonia and Inkoo in Finland. The pipeline was launched in early 2020.
Source: Err.ee News
