The complex of transmission lines, and substations making up the single grid, stretching more than 1,100 km, was created within the framework of developing the Russian national project on modernisation and expansion.of trunk infrastructure, the overall investment in the project exceeded 59 billion roubles.

    The trunk transmission line moves through Murmansk region, the Karelia republic and Leningrad region, all parallel to the first line, set up more  than 30 years ago. The carrying capacity of the existing line was insufficient to make full use of generating power in Murmansk region, primarily the Kola nuclear power plant and regional hydropower stations.

    Opening the second line removed risks in the operation of the energy system in Murmansk region and in the Karelia Republic – isolated from Russia’s central electricity network – as well as covering current and future electricity needs. In future, power from the Kola wind farm –  the largest in Russia’s polar areas – will be part of the network. 

    “What is probably the largest project in Russia for many years has been completed – a transmission line covering more than 1,000 Km,” said Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov.

    “Construction of a second Kola-Karelia line is an unprecedented project in scale as a grid project in the northwest of our country,” said Rossetti head Andriy Ryumin.

    Raising the carrying capacity enabled Murmansk‘a  generating capacity to operate in full for the immediate benefit of consumers of several regions. System risks for renewable power supply to an area with 3 million residents have been removed.

    Some 3,500 transmission towers have been installed along the line. One of the most important stages was the construction of the 1.5-km -high-voltage segment across the River Svir – with the towers reaching 73 metres in height. 

    And the Rossetti company, which carried out the project, brought on stream two new energy sites- the 330 KW distribution points at Kamenniy Bor (Stone Forest) and Borea.

    In addition to the line, reconstruction work  was carried out at four current 330 KW provision centres In Murmansk and Leningrad regions as well as in Karelia.

    Fully up-to-date automated command and commercial accounting systems were introduced in all energy sites in thе project, as was a relay  defence system  on the basis  of a microprocessor. More than 90 percent of the equipment used was manufactured in Russia.