Energy, Estonia, Good for Business

The company built 270 new substations and 1,556 kilometers of power lines during the year, compared with respectively 221 substations and 1,572 kilometers in 2017, spokesman Peeter Liik told.

As at the end of 2018, 88% of the Elektrilevi low-voltage network was weatherproof, up from 84% at the end of 2017.

Altogether during the year, the length of the weatherproof network increased by 1,395 kilometers and the length of the aerial network using uncovered wires decreased by 1,425 kilometers. As at the end of the year, 67.5 percent of the company's low-voltage and medium-voltage network was weather resistant, compared with 64 percent at the end of 2017.

Faults in Elektrilevi's network numbered 11,906 last year, a few hundred fewer than in 2017. At the same time, the year 2018 was significantly more unfriendly towards the network when it comes to weather than the year before it, Liik said.

He said that where in 2017 one major storm ravaged the network, in 2018 there were three storms of such scale -- in June, in September and in October.

The number of faults in the company's network has almost halved in five years. 

Investments by Elektrilevi are expected to remain on last year's level in 2019. The largest projects are reconstruction of the Savi Street substation in Parnu for 2.6 mln euros and reconstruction of the Toostuse and Anne substations in Tartu for respectively 2.5 and 1.4 mln euros.

Elektrilevi is the largest distribution network company in Estonia and manages about 60,000 kilometers of power lines and 24,000 substations. In addition, the company manages street lighting in Tallinn and Tartu and is establishing an open communications network to the electrical infrastructure for fast internet connection.