The latest information about the Balticconnector case was shared by the head of the Finnish investigation with the Finnish news agency STT.
The head of the investigation into the Baltic gas pipeline rupture - Inspector Risto Lohi of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) - said that the investigation into the Balticconnector pipeline failure last October has made progress. development. He said the results of the investigation will likely be announced after the summer.
Inspector Risto Lohi also said that the NBI is investigating the Balticconnector pipeline rupture as a serious crime of sabotage.
The investigation focuses on the operations of the Newnew Polar Bear container ship flying the Hong Kong flag (China).
According to Reuters reported at the end of May, at the time of information, the Estonian government had not yet received a response from Chinese officials about the request for judicial assistance in the Baltic gas pipeline case .
In the latest sharing of the Balticconnector case to the Finnish news agency STT, Mr. Lohi did not comment on Reuters' information nor comment on whether the NBI received the requested information related to the Newnew Polar Bear container ship. from Chinese officials or not.
In January this year, Reuters quoted a statement from the Office of the President of Finland saying that the broken gas pipeline in the Baltic was mentioned in a conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the then President of Finland. Sauli Niinisto.
"The two leaders noted the constructive dialogue between countries related to the Balticconnector gas pipeline case" - the statement stated.
The Balticconnector gas pipeline, connecting Inkoo in Finland and Paldiski in Estonia, has an underground section running 77 km through the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea.
The pipeline is jointly operated by Estonian gas and electricity system operator Elering and Finnish gas transmission system operator Gasgrid, with each company owning a 50% stake.
Balticconnector can transport up to 7.2 million cubic meters of gas per day or 80 gigawatt hours per day in both directions.
The pipeline opened in December 2019 to help integrate regional gas markets, thereby giving Finland and Baltic states such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania more flexible supply.
The Balticconnector pipeline suffered a sharp pressure drop at 2:00 a.m. October 8, 2023, local time. The pipeline's valves were then closed to prevent more gas from escaping.
Gasgrid said Balticconnector was transporting about 30 gigawatt hours (GWh) of gas per day from Finland to Estonia at the time of the incident. According to Gasgrid, the abnormal pressure drop indicates that the gas pipeline has been damaged and gas has leaked.
Repairs to the Balticconnector pipeline have been underway for several months and were completed in April this year. Repairs cost around 35 million euros but Balticconnector is insured so gas consumers are unlikely to have to bear this cost.
