Countries unite to protect subsea infrastructure

Minister of Climate and the Environment for Finland Kai Mykkänen and Minister of Climate Yoko Alender for Estonia signed the agreement in Helsinki last week.

The agreement was prompted by the suspected sabotage of an underwater natural gas pipeline between the two countries in October 2023. The Baltic-connector pipeline was shut off after a sudden pressure drop, and a telecoms cable also sustained damage.

The pipeline has been repaired, with two submarine power cables now operating in the Gulf of Finland and capable of out-pricing fluctuations, the parties said.

“Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the security environment in Finland and Europe for the long term. Changes in the security environment are also reflected in the Baltic Sea,” a statement said.

“Finland and Estonia therefore consider it necessary to further improve the surveillance and resilience of the underwater gas and electricity infrastructure connecting the countries. This will be achieved by increasing cooperation and sharing best practices in order to monitor and protect the infrastructure in developing ways. Improving the capacity for transmission connection repairs is also a natural area of cooperation.”

Underwater energy systems that connect Estonia and Finland are critical for the energy security of both countries, and the MoU is being considered a ‘joint step towards a stable and secure energy future’.

“We agree on clear directions for cooperation to ensure the competitiveness, resilience and security of both countries’ energy sectors, as well as a stable electricity price, ” said Alender.