Estonia invests heavily in technologies to shield its infrastructure against any threats, including drones. This month, national grid operator Elering announced plans to spend €200M to protect its critical power infrastructure from drone attacks and other security threats, marking one of the Baltic region’s largest investments in grid security.
The plan includes installing drone detection and countermeasure systems at key electrical substations and along high-voltage transmission lines connecting Estonia to Latvia. Elering CEO Kalle Kilk says the company will enhance physical security with improved fencing, monitoring systems, and increased personnel for surveillance.
The initiative is part of a broader €600 million security upgrade planned jointly with grid operators in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Each Baltic state would receive an equal share of the funding, which the companies hope to secure primarily through the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
However, if needed, Elering would finance improvements through a combination of infrastructure fees and congestion charges rather than seeking additional state support.
The upgrades also aim to improve fault detection in submarine power cables – a timely concern after recent damage to the Estlink 2 cable connecting Estonia and Finland. While Elering can currently identify general areas where problems occur, new systems would enable faster and more precise fault location.
This is not the first measure Estonia made to counter any potential drone threats and also use them to advance its capabilities. Back in 2021, Estonia pioneered drone technology for power line inspection, becoming the first country in the world to inspect 100% of its distribution power lines using drones. This initiative was led by Elektrilevi, Estonia’s largest power distribution operator, in partnership with Hepta Airborne, a drone inspection company. The program, which started in 2017, delivered 50% savings on inspection costs and faster response times to storm damage.
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