Hitachi Energy has won an order to provide Batlics transmission system operators (TSOs) Fingrid and Elering, with an extensive control and protection system upgrade of the EstLink 1 high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system that interconnects the two countries.
EstLink 1 (in addition to EstLink 2) enables power exchange between Finland and Estonia, which is normally not possible as the countries’ grids are asynchronous. The EstLink 1 HVDC system enables the efficient transmission of electricity via 105 kilometres of underground and subsea cables providing significant power quality benefits to both grids.
“Our transmission systems have been helping to secure power in the Baltic region for decades,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director at Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “We are proud to support our customers by providing our cutting-edge HVDC control system and Hitachi Energy Service solutions, making the link more secure. Based on almost 70 years of experience, our services extend the system’s lifetime and further improve its availability and reliability.”
“Elering’s main duty is to guarantee high-quality energy to Estonian consumers at all times and we are not alone in this, but cooperate with other system operators and the European electricity market,” Kalle Kilk, the Chairman of the Elering Management Board noted. “EstLink 1 is a key part of fulfilling that responsibility. When ensuring the security of supply, Estonia cannot be viewed in isolation, it can be ensured in the region as a whole. The decisions of Estonia and the foreign partners mutually influence the security of supply. The bigger the electricity market is, the better we can ensure that the lights are on and the rooms are warm in Estonia at the best possible price.”
“Cross-border connections, like EstLink 1, safeguard our power system’s security, even in the coldest winters and help to support a healthy electricity market,” said Kimmo Nepola, head of Fingrid’s HVDC & FACTS unit. “EstLink 1 will have many upgraded control features that help us to keep the power system up and running in the future.”
After more than 16 years of operation, the control and protection system of EstLink 1 will be upgraded with the latest MACH technology.