The supply of gas has been maintained even during the pipeline breakage, the crisis level can now being lowered

The security of gas supply remained good in Finland despite the cold winter and the gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia being out of commission for over six months. The Inkoo LNG terminal proved its necessity during the breakage. The Balticconnector gas pipeline has since resumed normal operation, in response to which the National Emergency Supply Agency has lowered the crisis level of security of supply from the alert level to the lowest early warning level.

The Balticconnector gas pipeline was damaged on 8 October 2023, rendering it unusable for supplying gas before extensive repairs could be conducted. The pipeline was put back into service on 22 April 2024 and is now operating as normal. Between October and April, gas network customers were provided with the gas they needed through the Inkoo and Hamina LNG terminals.

Despite the winter being cold and ice conditions in the northern Baltic Sea being more severe than in several years, the security of gas supply remained good without any supply disruptions. All planned LNG deliveries were successfully delivered to the terminals. For added gas supply security, the Finnish energy sector maintains a stockpile of other fuels corresponding to five months of average consumption.

The new Inkoo LNG terminal that commenced operation at the start of 2023 has proven to be a very good preparedness measure in terms of Finland’s gas supply. Gas supplied via the LNG terminal has also been used to secure electricity generation. In the first week of January, very low temperatures and low electricity generation raised gas consumption to the maximum level (130 GWh/d) as gas was used to generate nearly 1,000 MW of electricity during peak hours.

The fact that Finland’s gas system had to effectively operate as an island while the Balticconnector gas pipeline was out of commission also provided valuable lessons for the development and preparedness of the gas market.

With the pipeline resuming operation, the infrastructure standard (N-1) of Finland’s gas system has recovered to the level prior to the breakage. Due to the positive development of the security of gas supply, the National Emergency Supply Agency has decided to lower the crisis level of security of supply from the alert level to the lowest early warning level.

News post concerning the raising of the risk assessment concerning the security of gas supply in October 2023:

/en/a/nesa-raising-its-risk-assessment-concerning-the-security-of-gas-supply/