2/2012 - Fingrid

Kraftnät Åland uses its own transmission grid, which covers the Åland Islands completely, with about 300 kilometres of110 and 45 kilovolt lines, substations and interconnections to mainland Finland and Sweden.Alternatives to reserve powerThe transmission connection from Swedencan in practice cater for the fullelectricity supply of the Åland Islands.This is needed especially when thereis not enough wind to propel the windturbines. If the Swedish connection isnot available, the current archipelagoconnection can supply nine megawattsof energy. The rest of the electricity demandis due to be covered by reservepower machinery.Kraftnät Åland has an agreementwith a local electricity producer on itproducing energy for Kraftnät Ålandwhenever necessary. The company’s twogas turbines can produce 24 megawattsof energy, and the same amount usingtwo diesel engines. Moreover, KraftnätÅland has a 25 megawatt gas turbineof its own.Ring in the makingÅland has 17 substations, some ofwhich are currently being connectedinto a ring to safeguard continued operation.In addition, the old substationsbuilt in the 1970s are being upgraded toimprove system security.“We are renewing the substationspartly because they are so old that thereSven-Anders Eriksson and JanKahlroth: The transmission systemoperator of Åland is facing somesignificant changes.have been some problems in acquiringspare parts for them. Personal safety isalso an important consideration, sincemodern substations are safer to workin,” says Sven-Anders Eriksson, NetworkManager of Kraftnät Åland.Another problem with old technologyis that there are fewer and fewerprofessionals left to use it. Sven-AndersEriksson compares the situation to ataxi driver having a car from the 1970s.Full ownership toregional governmentAccording to the EU’s third ElectricityMarket Directive, an electricity distribu-tion company cannot be an owner in atransmission system operator. The regionalgovernment of Åland redeemedthe ownership of all the other major coownersof Kraftnät Åland in the summer.The regional government alreadyhas a majority of the shares.Kraftnät Åland will face even othersignificant changes in the near future.“The gas turbines of the local electricitycompany are old, and they musteventually be withdrawn from operation.Moreover, the demand for energyis constantly on the increase; as it is, wehave a risk of a power shortage in thewinter. As a result of the decommissioningof the reserve power machines andincreasing electricity consumption, wehave been planning a submarine cableconnection to the Finnish mainland,”says Jan Kahlroth.The new cable will enable Åland tobuy its electricity either from Finlandor Sweden. At present, there are discussionsabout what type of a model willbe introduced in the procurement ofmarket electricity, and no final decisionhas been made yet as to the directionfrom which the majority of the electricitywill be imported.FINGRID 2/2012 | 29