2006-12-04 - A new power line built by ABB to connect the electricity networks of the Baltic states and Finland for the first time will help Europe in its goal to improve the security of energy supplies, increase sustainability in the industry and strengthen grid reliability, said Andris Piebalgs, the European Union energy commissioner.
By
Editorial services
"It's important for me that the Baltic region is no longer an island in the EU," Piebalgs said in Tallinn, Estonia, on Dec. 4 at the official opening of Estlink. "I'm proud that we use the best technology, the ABB technology."
|
The Estlink power line built by ABB will help help improve security of energy supply, grid reliability and increase sustainability in the European power industry, says Andris Piebalgs, European Union energy commissioner.
ABB completed the 105-kilometer (65-mile) underground and underwater link in record time. Estlink is one of the priority projects in the EU's plan to improve cross-border power infrastructure, reduce blackouts and help create more efficient power markets in Europe.
A great piece of engineering
“It's a great piece of engineering but the real importance of Estlink transcends pure engineering," said ABB President and CEO Fred Kindle at a press conference after the ceremony. “It brings the Baltic and Nordic regions one step closer to a fully integrated electricity grid and does that at minimal environmental impact.”
The opening event was also attended by executives from the five utilities that own the link and representatives of the Finnish, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian governments.
|
|
| LEFT: ABB transformer for converting incoming AC current - part of the new Estlink power interconnection between Finland and the Baltic states. RIGHT: ABB President and CEO, Fred Kindle (l) with Sandor Liive, chief executive of Eesti Energia, at a press conference in Tallinn, Estonia, at the Estlink innauguration. |
ABB designed, built and installed Estlink using its HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) Light technology. Modular construction cut ABB’s delivery time to 19 months from the 30 usually needed for comparable installations.
ABB pioneered HVDC technology and has led the development of HVDC since it delivered the first installation in 1954 to carry power between the Swedish mainland and the island of Gotland. ABB has supplied more than half the world’s HVDC converter stations.
Technology advance
HVDC Light is an advance of the technology that offers the same benefits as traditional HVDC and in addition provides more secure power control and quick power restoration in the event of a blackout. It is also environmentally friendly, featuring oil-free cables, negligible electromagnetic fields, compact converter stations and underground or underwater power lines.
"We are building a bigger market area," said Sandor Liive, chief executive of Eesti Energia, at the press conference. "What that means for customers is that the best possible electricity price is available at all times."
Eesti Energia and four other utilities own Estlink through Nordic Energy Link.
In the Baltic region, there are already a large number of ABB-built HVDC interconnections. They include links between Sweden and Denmark; Norway and Denmark; Sweden and Germany; Denmark and Germany; Sweden, Poland and Germany; and Sweden and Finland.
Estlink is the first interconnection using HVDC Light. The cable, less than 10 centimeters in diamater, can carry as much as 350 megawatts (MW) of power, enough to meet the needs of about 300,000 households.