Unexpected Disruption in Estlink 2 Power Cable on Christmas Day

On Christmas Day at approximately 12:26 PM local time (10:26 AM GMT), the Estlink 2, an underwater electric cable that links Finland and Estonia, experienced an unexpected disruption. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reassured that the power supply in Finland remains stable despite the outage. However, according to Reuters, the incident has decreased the transmission capacity to 358 megawatts, a significant drop from the usual 1,106 megawatts. This event follows closely after the alleged sabotage incidents involving two undersea internet cables that connect Finland and Sweden with the rest of Europe.

At the time the failure occurred, Finland was supplying Estonia with 658 megawatts of electricity, as reported by Fingrid, Finland’s national electricity transmission operator. Elering, Estonia’s counterpart, confirmed the incident but reported no immediate impacts on its electrical supply.

Details on the Undersea Power Connections

The power connection between the two nations comprises two cables: Estlink 1 and Estlink 2. Estlink 1, positioned west of Helsinki and Tallinn, has a capacity of 350 megawatts. Estlink 2, located east of the two capitals, has a larger capacity of 650 megawatts. Following several months of maintenance earlier this year, the Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported that Estlink 2 had only recently been restored in September. Given the recent restoration and past incidents, Arto Pahkin, Operations Manager at Fingrid, suggested that external interference might be involved. “We cannot exclude the possibility of sabotage, but we are investigating all potential causes thoroughly,” Pahkin stated, adding that an official investigation into the disruption has been initiated.

Prime Minister Orpo also addressed the public via X (formerly known as Twitter), emphasizing that authorities remain vigilant during the holiday season to investigate the disruption. He assured that the incident does not impact the Finnish electricity supply to consumers.

Regional Security Concerns Amidst Cable Vulnerabilities

The Baltic Sea area, surrounded by NATO member countries, hosts numerous critical cables that facilitate communication, data transfer, and electricity trading within the alliance. These cables are typically marked on nautical charts to prevent ships, particularly those dropping anchor, from damaging them. While incidents involving these cables are infrequent and rarely reported, they do occur.

The ongoing conflict following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has heightened tension across Europe, raising concerns about the security of such critical infrastructure. The recent suspected sabotage of undersea cables connecting Finland and Sweden with the rest of Europe underscores the potential vulnerabilities. Russia’s access to the Baltic Sea could potentially allow it to disrupt these crucial systems, posing a significant risk to regional and alliance security.