Estonian distribution network operator Elektrilevi has entered into framework agreements with suppliers in six regions. The volume of the contracts reaches some EUR 40 million to be spent on extending, maintaining, and repairing Estonia’s electricity distribution network.
The framework agreements are the most far-reaching yet, covering a large number of jobs and suppliers and outlining contracts for the time period up to 2022.
Elektrilevi’s partners will deal with the maintenance of electricity lines, build new connections, repair existing ones and address problems and interruptions in Ida-Viru, Laane-Viru, Jarva, and Rapla County as well as in Harju County’s eastern region and on the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.
With the new agreements comes a reduction of the company’s own repair and construction capacities. The number of interruptions and other problems has been almost halved over the past five years, which means that there is no point in keeping up Elektrilevi’s previous operational capacity, head of the company’s construction department, Kristo Kulljastinen said.
The framework agreements now signed are the result of an international tender. They were signed with AS KH Energia-Konsult and OU Pluvo for the eastern part of Harju County, OU Elrek-Mont for Ida-Viru County, OU Arendus & Haldus along with Empower AS for Laane-Viru County, As Connecto Eesti for Jarva and Rapla County, and Empower AS for the islands.
Elektrilevi is Estonia’s largest distribution network operator. The company is a subsidiary of the state-owned energy company Eesti Energia with some 61,000 kilometers of lines and 24,000 substations. The company also runs 40% of all of the country’s streetlights and is pioneering the extension of Estonia’s electricity infrastructure for high-speed Internet connections. (ERR/Business World Magazine)