Estonia wants to get 130mn EUR from EU for energy independence from Russia

Estonia’s Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Minister Kristen Michal has approved three applications for financial support from the EU.

According to Stolitsa portal, Estonia wants to get money for the Balticonnector gas pipeline, a gas compressor station in Karksi and an LNG terminal in Paldiski.

The application for the Paldiski LNG terminal has been filed by Balti Gaas OU. The terminal is expected to attract new suppliers and to boost competition. Estonia is not going to invest money in this project and hopes to get support from the EU.

The Karksi gas compressor station is supposed to supply gas to Latvia.

Balticconnector is supposed to connect Estonia with Finland. The cost of this project is 250mn EUR. Estonia’s share in it is 130mn EUR. The pipeline will run 47 km in Estonia, 81 km in the Gulf of Finland and 20 km in Finland. The project is supposed to last from 2016 till 2019. Its owners are Elering Gaas of Estonia and Baltic Connector OY of Finland.

Recently more and more Estonian politicians have stressed the need to ensure their country’s energy independence from Russia. In 2006, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said that energy dependence was a challenge for Estonia’s security as it was neighbor to countries using energy for political purposes. It was then that Ilves approved Estonia’s involvement in the project to build a new NPP in the Lithuanian town of Ignalina.