Update, 22 April 2024
The subsea Balticconnector gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia returned to commercial use today. Finland is once again physically connected to the European pipeline gas network, and gas can be imported through the pipeline as well as through LNG terminals.
Repairs, inspections and commissioning of Balticconnector, which was damaged in October, proceeded on schedule. Its transmission capacity has been available to market participants since the start of this gas day, at 07:00 on 22 April.
Balticconnector was damaged on 8 October 2023, interrupting pipeline gas transmission between Finland and Estonia until today. Finland’s gas system remained stable throughout the outage, with gas imported through the Inkoo and Hamina LNG terminals.
Update, 5 April 2024
Repairs to the Balticconnector subsea pipeline have been completed on schedule. The pipeline has also been tested for tightness and strength.
Preparations for commissioning have also begun. Once these are complete, Finland and Estonia can proceed with commissioning the pipeline itself.
More detailed information about the commissioning stages is available on Gasgrid Finland’s website. Gasgrid still expects commissioning to be completed on 22 April, when the subsea pipeline would return to gas market use.
Update, 8 March 2024
Finland’s gas market has remained balanced throughout the winter, although the Balticconnector subsea pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia has been out of service since October. Gas has been supplied through the Inkoo and Hamina liquefied natural gas terminals.
This week, on 5 March 2024, Gasgrid Finland announced that repair work at the damaged section of Balticconnector was about to begin. Repairs are expected to continue until early April, followed by inspection and commissioning.
If repairs and commissioning proceed as planned, Balticconnector will return to service on 22 April 2024.
Update, 9 November 2023
Since Balticconnector was damaged in early October, natural gas has been imported into Finland mainly through the Inkoo and Hamina LNG terminals. Inkoo is significantly larger: fully loaded, it holds around 68,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas, equivalent to around 1,050 GWh of energy.
More than 40 TWh of gas can be regasified at the Inkoo terminal in a single day. Once gaseous, the natural gas can be fed into the transmission network and transported through it and distribution networks to consumers. When the terminal’s customers – gas suppliers operating in Finland – book capacity, they are therefore effectively purchasing a regasification service for LNG delivered by LNG carriers.
The subsidiary of state-owned transmission system operator Gasgrid Finland responsible for the Inkoo LNG terminal opened capacity bookings on 27 October. On Monday 6 November, the terminal company announced that all gas import capacity for winter 2023–2024 had been booked.
This means gas availability in Finland is now secured for the entire winter season, both technically and on a market basis.
Update, 1 November 2023
Gasgrid Finland and Estonian gas network operator Elering have completed inspections of the Balticconnector subsea pipeline. The entire interconnector was inspected, and no changes or damage were found other than the damage already confirmed in October. The preliminary estimate remains that Balticconnector will return to service no earlier than the beginning of April 2024.
Finland’s gas system remains stable, and Auris’s gas deliveries continue as normal. All Auris’s gas suppliers have confirmed that they can continue delivering gas through the Inkoo LNG terminal.
Last week, it was reported that the National Emergency Supply Agency had raised its risk assessment for Finland’s gas security of supply. The decision was based solely on the temporary unavailability of one gas import connection, Balticconnector. The agency emphasised that the gas market was stable and gas remained normally available through Finland’s LNG terminals.
Raising the risk assessment level has no immediate effect on gas market operations. Before last week’s increase, Finland was already at the early warning level, declared by the National Emergency Supply Agency in May 2022 as Russian natural gas deliveries were coming to an end.
Further information about Balticconnector is available at www.gasgrid.fi. This news item will also be updated regularly.
Update, 24 October 2023
The authorities’ investigation into the damage to Balticconnector and Gasgrid’s subsea pipeline inspection continue. The preliminary estimate is that repairs will take at least five months. This means the pipeline will return to service no earlier than April 2024.
Gas is currently entering Finland through the Inkoo and Hamina LNG terminals, and the gas system is stable. Inkoo’s capacity is large enough to secure gas availability on its own, even during higher winter demand.
Auris’s gas deliveries continue as normal. All our gas suppliers have confirmed that they can continue delivering gas through the Inkoo LNG terminal.
Further information is available at www.gasgrid.fi. Auris will also continue updating this news item regularly.
Update, 11 October 2023:
Transmission system operator Gasgrid Finland Oy announced yesterday that damage had been identified as the cause of the pressure drop detected in Balticconnector over the weekend.
Gasgrid and Estonian gas transmission system operator Elering will continue their inspection operation this week to assess the condition of the entire pipeline accurately. Repairs will then be planned and a schedule established. The preliminary estimate is that the pipeline will return to service no earlier than the beginning of April 2024.
Finland’s gas system remains stable, and gas supply is secured through LNG terminals. Auris’s gas deliveries therefore continue as normal despite the damage and repairs to Balticconnector.
Further information is available on Gasgrid’s website at www.gasgrid.fi. Auris will also update this news item regularly.
Update, 9 October 2023:
An unusual pressure drop was detected in the Balticconnector subsea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia over the weekend. The pipeline valves have been closed, and gas is not currently flowing between the countries through it.
The Finnish and Estonian transmission system operators are jointly investigating the cause of the pressure drop. Finland’s gas system is stable, and gas supply is secured through the Inkoo LNG terminal.
Finland’s transmission system operator Gasgrid Finland has provided an update on its website, stating that if the unusual pressure drop is caused by pipeline damage, repairs will take at least a few months.
Auris’s gas deliveries continue as normal. All our gas suppliers have confirmed that they can deliver gas to Finland through the Inkoo LNG terminal even if Balticconnector remains out of service for some time. Gasgrid also emphasises in an article published today that Finland’s gas supply is secured.
Auris delivers gas as normal, and Finland’s gas system is stable
Finland’s gas system has been built with security of supply in mind. Gas availability does not depend solely on Balticconnector: the Inkoo LNG terminal alone could supply all the gas needed by the Finnish market, including in the coming winter.
There is also an LNG terminal in Hamina through which gas can be imported. Finland also has dozens of operating biogas plants producing domestic biogas.
In addition to alternative import routes, the current situation is eased by the fact that restrictions on Balticconnector’s use were already planned in October for periodic maintenance. Market participants had therefore prepared to procure and deliver the gas they sell in Finland through Inkoo during the maintenance period, from 13 October to 14 November.
We are monitoring the situation and will update this news item as more information becomes available.
Transmission system operator Gasgrid provides updates at www.gasgrid.fi
Published 8 October 2023:
Finland’s gas transmission system operator Gasgrid Finland has reported that an unusual pressure drop was detected last night in the subsea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia. The observations suggested a possible leak. The pipeline valves have now been closed, stopping the leak.
Gasgrid Finland is investigating the matter with Estonian gas transmission system operator Elering. Finland’s gas system is stable, and gas supply is secured through the Inkoo LNG terminal.
Auris’s gas deliveries are continuing as normal for the time being. We are monitoring the situation and will update this news item as we receive further information.
Gasgrid provides updates on its website here www.gasgrid.fi.