Anchor-Damaged Estlink 2 Returns to Service Sooner Than Expected

Estlink 2 Returns to Service Sooner Than Expected. Photo: Eero Vabamägi

The repair works on the Estlink 2 electricity interconnection, which began in May, are progressing faster than planned, and the date for returning the connection to the market has been moved forward from mid-July to June 25, Estonian transmission system operator Elering announced on Friday.

Reigo Haug, head of Estlink operations, said the section of the submarine cable that was damaged by a ship's anchor on Dec. 25 last year has now been successfully cut out, and about one-kilometer-long spare cable needs to be connected to the undamaged sections.

«Both the preparatory and repair works have progressed well, and there have been no setbacks. The construction of the first repair joint will be completed today, and construction of the second will begin next week,» said Haug.

The electricity interconnection will return to market operation on June 25, after the repair works are completed and tests are successfully passed.

Estlink 2, the electricity interconnection between Estonia and Finland, was damaged on December 25, 2024, by the anchor of the Russian-operated cargo ship Eagle S, which sails under the flag of Panama and is believed to be linked to Russia’s so-called «shadow fleet» — a network of vessels operating with opaque ownership structures, often used to bypass international sanctions and regulations.