A subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland to Estonia via the Baltic Sea have been compromised, causing concerns over potential deliberate sabotage, as reported by the Finnish government on Tuesday. This incident prompted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to assert NATO’s readiness to support its allies, reminding that Finland became a NATO member in April, with Estonia joining back in 2004.
The Balticconnector gas pipeline was swiftly shut down early Sunday due to suspicions of a gas leak. Gasgrid, the Finnish operator, has announced that repairs could take several months or longer. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto commented, “It is likely that damage to both the gas pipeline and the communication cable is the result of outside activity,” although the cause remains under investigation.
While the damage to the gas pipeline raised eyebrows, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo clarified that Finland’s energy supply remains stable. Furthermore, he indicated that gas comprises only 5% of Finland’s energy resources. Notably, European gas prices surged following the incident, hitting a six-month high of 49.75 euros a MWh.
The damaged pipeline, stretching between Inkoo in Finland and Paldiski in Estonia, crosses the Gulf of Finland. Given the recent history, concerns about deliberate damage are not unfounded. In 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany faced explosions believed to be sabotage.
On the brighter side, Finland’s preparations against gas shortages are commendable. Last year, Finland procured a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for liquefied natural gas (LNG), majorly imported from the U.S. In addition, Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa confirmed that their services remained unaffected as the damaged cable was mainly a backup.
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