HVDC Russia-Finland

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The HVDC Russia-Finland (also: Kernovo-Mussalo cable) was a project to build 1000 MW HVDC submarine power cable between Kernovo, Leningrad Oblast (Russia) and Mussalo, Kotka (Finland).

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[edit] Technical features

The capacity of submarine cable was planned 1000 MW providing possibility to transmit up to 8.7 TWh of electricity per year. There was planned two strings of ironclad cables, at the distance of 50-100 m from each other, and also one ground metal cable.[1]

One possible alternative was the 1000 MW cable replacement with two 500 MW cables connecting Kernovo with different destinations in Finland. Other considered destinations in Finland were Loviisa, Sipoo, Espoo and Ingå. The cable was to be linked with the Sosnovyi Bor nuclear power plant. Overall cost of the project were calculated 300 million euro. The financing agreement of project was signed with Russia's state-run foreign economic bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) in June 2006. The pay-off period of the project was calculated 6 to 9 years. The construction was planned to be completed in 2009-2010.[1]

[edit] Background

The cable has been suggested originally back in the 1990s by the Russian state nuclear power company Rosenergoatom. In 2004, Finland based company United Power Oy, controlled by Baltenergo, the subsidiary of Rosenergoatom, submitted an official application for the submarine cable and a transformer station. The main purpose of this project was to export Russian nuclear energy to Sweden and Finland. There were preliminary agreements of electricity supply for 15 years between United Power and BasEl, representing 16 Swedish and Finnish companies.[1]

[edit] Controversy

The project was backed by the Russian Government and supported by Finnish and Swedish industries.[1] [2] At the same time, it was criticized by the Finnish national transmission grid operator Fingrid and also by some Russian energy companies. The Russian Federal Grid Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of UES RAO, stated that the St Petersburg region especially is suffering from undercapacity, and the sea cable will worsen the current situation, as electricity would go abroad instead of to the Russian regions. CEO of UES RAO, Anatoly Chubais said that the project is unrealistic, and possibly even non-profitable.[1] The Finnish concerns related to the Finnish grid ability to adapt the Russian power transmission and with amount of necessary investments into transmission grid. Fingrid sayd that the regional grid in the southeast of Finland is operating at maximum capacity, and could not handle the additional power.

The point of view of some Nordic ecological NGO's was that the power generated in Sosnovy Bor is not suitable to be used because this nuclear power plant is old-fashioned and could pose an environmental threat.[3][4]

United Power’s argued that the sea cable would increase competition at the Finnish energy market and will decrease electricity prices by 6-8%.[1]

in December 2006, the Finnish Government rejected the project.[5] In May 2007, United Power announced it will give up its effort to build an undersea electric cable from Russia to Finland and will look instead for direct link from Russia to Sweden across the Baltic Sea.[6][7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f “Future of the high voltage sea cable still open”, Nordicum (no. 3): 47, 2006, <http://www.nordicum.com/new_site/main_frame.php?req_page=results.php&ArtID=1101&Page=Article&searchType=Articles>. Retrieved on 30 June 2007 
  2. ^ "Russians plan up to six new reactors for nuclear plant near Finland", Helsingin Sanomat, 2006-09-13. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 
  3. ^ "Leningrad NPP provokes criticism in Finland", Bellona, 2006-06-08. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 
  4. ^ "New underwater power cable can prolong use of old nuclear reactors", Friends of the Earth Norway, 2006-10-24. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 
  5. ^ "Finland rejects undersea electricity cable from Russia", Helsingin Sanomat, 2006-12-20. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 
  6. ^ "Russia Drops Plan to Build Undersea Electric Cable to Finland", Energy Central Professional, 2007-05-23. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 
  7. ^ "Russia's Baltenergo eyes new power link to Sweden", Reuters, 2007-05-21. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. 

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