Repair of damaged Estlink 2 cable in the Baltic will cost tens of millions of euros

Repair of damaged Estlink 2 electrical cable in Baltic Sea on December 25 will be long and expensive.

As “Yevropeyska Pravda” writes, this is reported by Delfi portal.

According to the head of the Finnish system operator Fingrid, Kimmo Nepola, according to current estimates, the repair work will last seven months and cost tens of millions of euros.

“The extent of the damage is still being determined and it is being assessed how it will be advisable to eliminate it and what equipment to use,” Nepola said.

Although the role of repair coordinator is assigned to Fingrid, the work will be carried out in close cooperation with Elering. Negotiations on the vessel needed for the repair are still ongoing. “Various options are being considered, and the choice will be made depending on whether the vessel is available and whether it is capable of carrying out the repair work,” – Nepola clarified, adding that the Finnish ship will not be involved.

The repair of Estlink 2 is technically extremely complex: first, the damaged section of the cable on the seabed must be cut and the ends lifted onto the ship's side.

“After that, a new intermediate segment will be connected to the existing ends of the cable. Each core of the cable must be manually connected and the insulation layer restored so that it can withstand high voltage”, – Nepola explained.

Recall that in recent days several submarine cables have been damaged in the Baltic, after which the countries of the region and NATO announced enhanced security measures.

It was reported that Finland detained the Eagle S vessel in connection with the rupture of a communication cable in the Baltic Sea. According to media reports, equipment was found on the vessel that could be used to spy on aircraft and ships.