Preferred route for 4th Estonia-Latvia electricity cable announced
After two years of discussions, the preferred route for a fourth electricity interconnection between Estonia and Latvia has been unveiled. The cable will run from Paide to Saaremaa island and then towards Latvia, aiming to boost energy security and renewable energy use.
Estonia's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has announced the preferred route for a new electricity link between Estonia and Latvia, following two years of consultations. The connection is intended to strengthen Estonia's supply security, improve grid performance, and create better conditions for the use and export of renewable energy.
The proposed route starts at the Paide substation in central Estonia, passing through Järvakandi, Rumba, and Lihula to the coast at Pivarootsi, where it continues as a submarine cable. On Saaremaa island, the connection resumes as an underground cable to the Mägi-Kurdla substation, then proceeds as an overhead line across the island's center. On Saaremaa's western coast near Kotlandi, the cable would head towards Latvia.
The completion timeline remains uncertain. Earlier expectations had set 2038 as the latest possible date, but in mid-May, Estonian transmission system operator Elering postponed the final decision on the project.
