EstLink 1
Cross BorderOperational
EEFI
350 MW150 kV105 km2006Also known as:Estlink HVDC Light, Estlink HVDC interconnector, Estlink HVDC
Status:Operational
Capacity:350 MW
Project Company:
Nordic Energy Link (Nordic Energy Link AS)
Type:cross border
Website:www.hitachienergy.com
EstLink 1 is a point-to-point HVDC subsea interconnector between Estonia and Finland providing cross‑border capacity for market trading, system balancing and security of supply. Commissioned in 2006/early 2007, the link was built as an HVDC Light (voltage‑sourced converter) installation rated at 350 MW and ±150 kV, using polymer‑insulated extruded DC...
Supply Chain (3)
Project Timeline (25)
1 Sept 2025Major Outage
On Monday 1 September 2025, the Estonia–Finland Estlink 1 electricity interconnection went out of service after a malfunction at the Espoo converter station on the Finnish side, with the outage starting at 5:46 a.m. According to initial market notices referenced by Fingrid and Elering, the 350 MW link was expected to remain offline at least until the end of that day’s trading on the electricity exchange.
1 Sept 2025Major OutageStale
Following the 1 September 2025 outage of Estlink 1, Fingrid identified the malfunction at a reactor in the Espoo substation and indicated that repairs would be required, estimating a repair period of around three weeks during which Estlink 1 would remain out of use. The work focuses on fixing the substation equipment rather than the cable itself, which Fingrid confirmed had not failed.
29 Feb 2024Major MaintenanceStale
On 29 February 2024, Hitachi Energy announced it had won an order from transmission system operators Fingrid and Elering to carry out an extensive upgrade of the Estlink 1 HVDC transmission system’s control and protection using the latest MACH technology. After more than 16 years of operation, this planned upgrade is intended to extend the system’s lifetime and improve its availability, reliability, and contribution to power security in the Baltic region and the wider European electricity market.
5 Jan 2024Major Outage
On Friday 5 January 2024, the Estlink 1 high‑voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnector between Estonia and Finland went offline at 11:17 a.m. due to a technical failure, interrupting power transmission when the link was carrying 50 MW. Finnish transmission system operator Fingrid reported the outage, describing it as a normal fault situation whose cause was under investigation.
5 Jan 2024System Restoration
Following a technical fault earlier the same day, the Estlink 1 HVDC interconnection between Estonia and Finland was restored to operation at 12:49 p.m. on Friday 5 January 2024, around an hour and a half after going off grid. Fingrid stated that power transmission between the two countries had resumed after this normal fault situation.
30 Dec 2013Stake TransactionStale
Licence: Competition clearance/consent for EstLink 1 ownership transfer
The Estonian Competition Authority was required to grant consent for the EstLink 1 sales transaction, enabling the transfer of ownership of the interconnector’s assets so that Fingrid and Elering would each own 50 percent of the cable as of 30 December 2013.
30 Dec 2013Stake Transaction
On 30 December 2013, ownership of the EstLink 1 submarine HVDC interconnector was transferred from project company AS Nordic Energy Link and its subsidiary N.E.L. Finland Oy—owned by Eesti Energia (39.9%), Latvenergo (25%), Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba (25%) and Finestlink (10.1%)—to the transmission system operators Fingrid (Finland) and Elering (Estonia). The transaction, implemented following a sales contract concluded on 27 November 2013 to meet EU rules on cross‑border energy trading, gave Fingrid and Elering 50% ownership each of EstLink 1 for a total consideration of €77.6 million.
2010Operations Other
In 2010, the EstLink 1 HVDC interconnector between Estonia and Finland was made fully available to the electricity market, with its transmission capacity subsequently allocated via the Nordic power exchange Nord Pool, rather than being reserved under earlier commercial arrangements.
Jan 2007Commercial Operations Full Power
EstLink 1 entered commercial in‑service operation in January 2007 as a 350 MW, ±150 kV HVDC Light interconnector between the Harku substation in Estonia and the Espoo substation in Finland. The project uses 210 km of cable (148 km subsea and 62 km on land) to provide bidirectional power transfer and enhance security of electricity supply and market integration between the Baltic States and the Nordic region.
Dec 2006First Power
In December 2006, the EstLink 1 HVDC Light interconnector between Estonia and Finland was commissioned, enabling the first exchange of electric power between the Baltic states and the Nordic (Nordel) power systems. The 350 MW, ±150 kV link connects the national grids via underground and subsea cables between the Harku and Espoo substations, improving supply security and facilitating electricity trading in the Baltic region.