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European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
News article6 November 2020Innovation and Networks Executive Agency

CEF Energy: Reinforcing the internal grid infrastructure of Latvia

New transmission line from Riga CHP-2 to Riga HPP has been commissioned

Power transmission line

The new 330 kV electricity transmission line from Riga CHP-2 to Riga HPP in Latvia, which has received €9.9 million from the Connecting Europe Facility, has been commissioned.

The Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), Dirk Beckers, stated: “The Riga CHP-2 - Riga HPP power transmission line will reinforce the internal 330kV transmission network and ensure a stable and reliable operation of the Estonia-Latvia third interconnection, one of the key cross-border infrastructure projects in the region. The implementation of energy infrastructure projects requires the involvement of many stakeholders, many coordination efforts, high political will and quick decision-making. The hard work and dedication of our beneficiaries, AS Augstsprieguma tikls (AST) and LET, has allowed us to witness the completion of this project and many others”.

The construction of this new line has the status of an EU Project of Common Interest and is part of the reinforcement of the internal network of Latvia to ensure full functionality of the Estonia-Latvia third interconnection. It will reinforce the 330 kV transmission network for the stable and reliable operation of the Estonia-Latvia third interconnection during maintenance and emergency operation modes. In addition, by ensuring a direct interconnection between Riga CHP2 and Riga HPP, an emergency start-up option for the Latvian power system is provided. At the regional level, this reinforcement of the network will play an important role in increasing the North-South capacity in the Baltic region.

The CEF Energy grant, awarded in 2016, covered the design, construction and civil engineering works for the line.

CEF Energy programme

The CEF programme in the field of energy provides funding to infrastructure projects in electricity, natural gas and smart grids with the aim to better interconnect energy networks towards a single energy market in Europe. The programme supports the key objectives of the Energy Union by promoting further integration of the internal energy market, enhancing security of energy supply and integrating energy from renewable sources into the network. To be eligible for a grant, a proposal has to be a PCI included in the Union-wide list adopted biennially by the Commission. In total, €4.7 billion of EU funding has been allocated to energy cross-border infrastructure projects so far.

Details

Publication date
6 November 2020
Author
Innovation and Networks Executive Agency