Defining the Dilemma
The tranquil pre-dawn hours of Sunday were disrupted when Elering, the Estonian gas grid operator, announced an unexpected involuntary shutdown of a subsea gas pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea. The sudden decision arrived on the heels of distressing signs hinting towards a possible leak. Jointly overseen by Elering and its Finnish equivalent, GasGrid, the companies detected a sudden and alarming drop in the pressure within the Balticconnector gas pipeline. The pipeline pressure nosedived from an initial count of 35 bars ultimately down to a worrisome six bars around about 0200.
The ominous indications leading towards a significant leak prompted both operators to execute a shutdown at both ends of the pipeline. Despite the unexpected commotion, it is anticipated that this outage won’t have an immediate impact on the customers of either nation.
The Subsea Savior
For Finland, sustenance isn’t far off, with the reliable resources of the Inkoo LNG terminal. Meanwhile, Estonia isn’t marooned either, empowered to obtain gas from its neighboring Latvia.
Balticconnector graces the underwater stretch between Inkoo, Finland, and Paldiski, Estonia, spanning a good 45 nautical miles. Conceived to play a vital role in incorporating flexibility and resilience into the energy infrastructure of both the Baltic states and Finland, it swiftly turned into the thread tying Finland to the EU internal natural gas market in 2020.
Changing courses
Not just a one-trick pony, the pipeline can be operated in both directions and was instrumental in facilitating the establishment of the Inkoo LNG terminal on Finnish land. As a repercussion of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Finland launched a floating LNG regasification terminal and started catering to the gas demands of not only Estonia and Latvia but also its local clientele.
Scrutinizing Security
It is not the first time a key pipeline has come under the limelight due to unexpected complications. This present obstacle barely precedes the winter heating season and has consequently caught the attention of security analysts. Close to a year ago, on September 26, 2022, an underground strike created chaos in the pipeline infrastructure near Bornholm island, affecting Gazprom’s Nord Stream network. The cause behind the former incident still remains shrouded in mystery.
Inquest Initiated
While an inspection operation for Balticconnector might take a few days to set into motion, no seismic signals indicating explosive activities were picked up by earthquake monitoring stations in the vicinity. It is worth noting that the attacks on the Nord Stream pipeline were promptly identified by seismographs stationed in neighboring states.
As investigations commence and experts toil away looking for answers, the integrity and future of the Balticconnector pipeline hangs in the balance. The lessons of this incident, whatever the cause, will be significant for energy security in the region. The situation starkly reminds us all of the intricacy and volatility of our global energy system.
