OREANDA-NEWS. On 16 July 2009 was announced, that Latvenergo Group specialists, working efficiently, have prepared and submitted a project to the European Commission on July 15 for receiving EU co-financing to construct a transmission network for the Kurzeme Ring. The technically complicated and detailed documentation package was to be prepared as an urgent matter, because in the event of the financing being granted, the companies already have to start the project implementation the next year and that is a very short time period for the power industry.

When the Prime Ministers of the Baltic States reached an agreement in April on construction of the Baltic - Sweden underwater cable, Latvenergo AS acquired the rights to make co-financing claims from the EU structural funds for the construction Kurzeme Ring transmission lines.

After signing a cooperation agreement on joint implementation of the Baltic power industry projects, activities can be started for receiving EU co-financing with a view to strengthen and improve the stability of the Latvian transmission network as a whole.

Latvia is seeking funding from the common EU economy renewal programme for the power industry which also incorporates the common project for the Baltic – Sweden interconnection and strengthening of the Baltic transmission network. In total the EU has earmarked EUR 175 M for the Baltic project.

Latvenergo Group specialists have calculated the total costs for the Kurzeme Ring to amount to about EUR 200 million. About 330 km high voltage lines with a transmission capacity of 1,000 MW are to be constructed for the Kurzeme Ring.

By the end of the year, the European Commission will have to decide on the project’s efficiency and its compliance with the set criteria. Alongside the Kurzeme Ring construction project, co-financing might also be granted for starting the construction of the Baltic – Sweden interconnection.

Stage one of the project schedules the construction of 330 KV cable, providing an interconnection between Riga CHPP-2 and Imanta substation. This will increase electricity supply stability to Riga and provide the substation connection with the Kurzeme Ring. The project’s implementation will remove the bottleneck between Latvia’s west and east that occasionally restricts the transit flow of electricity due to insufficient capacity.

Stage two of the project incorporates the construction of the Grobina-Ventspils-Dundaga 330 KV high voltage line. The design stage is due to begin this year and construction will be completed in 2015. The total projected costs of stage two are EUR 65 million.

Stage three entails the scheduled completion of the Kurzeme Ring with the construction of the Dundaga-Tume-Imanta connection with Riga CHPP-2, thus ensuring stable and safe electricity supply.

Upgrading the Kurzeme Ring will not only increase the safety and stability of electricity supply, but will also create a platform for the feasible construction of wind parks along Kurzeme’s coastline. Project completion is scheduled for 2018.