Residents of the Estonian island do not want energy independence to be fixed through their beach

Residents of the island of Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea oppose the construction of the fourth cross-border power line. It will pass through the only sandy beach.

"The new transmission line, planned by the Estonian system operator Elering together with the Latvian energy company, should be completed in about 10 years. From the point of view of the state, this additional cross—border line is necessary, but the final decisions on financing its construction, the cost of which exceeds one billion euros, will be made after the completion of research and the planning process," writes ERR.

However, the publication continues, the scale of the planned overhead power line from Paide to the west coast of Saaremaa causes great discontent among the inhabitants of the island — the cables will go out to sea through their only sandy beach and harbor. In addition, cables from possible offshore wind farms can also pass through there.

"At the sandy beach, right next to it, we have such a situation that not only the Estonian-Latvian underwater cable will pass here, but they also want to carry out the Saare Wind Energy underwater cable, the Sunly underwater cable and all other underwater cables. That is, our children will swim in the area of sea cables," said Tuulikki Laesson, a representative of the Koovi rural community.

"Why not overland? If the line is laid through the Estonian mainland, we will not get additional capacity to connect with Latvia, because, figuratively speaking, we will connect to the same substation to which the existing lines are already connected," explained Jaanus Uiga, Vice Chancellor of the Ministry of Climate.