Elering prepares grid for 1,500 MW of new generation

Estonia’s electricity transmission system operator Elering is preparing the grid to connect 1,500 megawatts of new generation capacity and is strengthening connections in major cities, ERR reports. Electricity consumption is expected to grow especially in Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu.

Elering board member Reigo Kebja said the development plan has three main priorities: preparing for new generation connections, strengthening connections in consumption centres to accommodate new demand, and improving the grid’s crisis readiness.

In practice, this will mainly involve reconstructing the existing grid, much of which dates from the middle of the 20th century, rather than building new lines. The upgrades are intended to bring the network up to modern standards and significantly increase its capacity.

Crisis readiness includes physical protection, prevention measures, faster restoration and increasing the volume of various reserves, Kebja said.

Elering’s development plan anticipates the addition of 1,500 megawatts of new generation capacity. It also forecasts rising electricity consumption in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu and Jõhvi.

Elering board chairman Kalle Kilk said the plan was revised because Estonia needs to add a significant number of new power plants and keep pace with rising consumption in Tallinn, Tartu and other major consumption centres.

Elering is reviewing with Elektrilevi, a distribution network operator, how far the higher-voltage transmission grid should be extended as demand grows, and where Elektrilevi can operate most efficiently using its own network. Kebja described the choice as deciding whether to build one large line or 10 smaller distribution lines.

According to Kebja, optimising costs in this way could save more than 50 million euros in total investment.

New power plants will be spread across Estonia

Kilk said electricity consumption has so far grown by about 1% a year on average across Estonia, although the difference between rural areas and cities is significant. Cities are seeing growth in new types of consumption, including the conversion of district heating networks to electricity and increased electric vehicle charging.

The new development plan sets out the grid upgrades needed to connect new power plants. Kilk said the system currently has a large number of power plants, but many are located in Virumaa and are ageing oil shale plants that are entering the market less often and gradually being decommissioned.

They will be replaced by power plants distributed across Estonia, Kilk said. Total capacity will not increase dramatically compared with the past, but the new plants will be located in different parts of the country.

Elering estimates that in 10 years Estonia should have slightly more than 2,000 megawatts of dispatchable power plants and more than 2,000 megawatts of weather-dependent but inexpensive generation capacity.

“Four thousand to 4,500 megawatts could initially be a sufficient amount for Estonia. At present, there is slightly more than 3,000,” Kilk said.

Estonia is not ready for 1,000 MW data centres

Future data centres are not included in the development plan, but Elering analysed the extent to which they could be connected to the grid.

Kilk said the core grid was strengthened significantly as part of the synchronisation project. As a result, data centres with capacities of a few hundred megawatts could be connected relatively easily at grid connection points, and the network is ready for them.

However, the grid is not ready for 1,000-megawatt data centres because Estonia’s system is still small, Kilk said.

Kilk did not disclose the cost of the development plan, saying roughly half would come from electricity tariffs and the other half could be obtained through subsidies and other forms of financial assistance.