Elenia’s weather-proof network already reduces customers´ outages and outage costs significantly

Elenia’s continued investments into weather-proof network reduce customers´ outages and storm related costs significantly. The increased underground cabling rate was reflected in reduced number of outages caused by Storm Aapeli. Without increased underground cabling, we estimate that the number of customers affected could have been triple. Consequently also the costs have been significantly lower.

Storm Aapeli caused Elenia fault repair costs of almost 1.7 million euros. Elenia also pays approximately 1.53 million euros in mandatory outage compensations to the customers and it’s own proprietary voluntary compensation for outages lasting more than 6 hours to the customers in the amount of almost 300 thousand euros.

During this decade storms and snow loads have caused Elenia more than 20 major outages, resulting is sizeable costs related to fault repair and customer compensations. At worst over 38,000 customers were without electricity during Storm Aapeli. The electricity was restored to all customers within 48 hours.

In 2009, when Elenia decided to construct only weather-proof network, the underground cabling rate was below 20%, now it’s 45% and it will be 75% in 2028. Elenia’s combined investments into security of supply have been almost 900 million euros during 2012-2019, which translates into more than 9000 person-years of work in Elenia’s network areas of  Häme, Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, South Ostrobothnia and North Ostrobothnia. In 2019 Elenia invests approximately 145 million euros in security of supply and replaces well over 3,000 kilometres overhead lines with underground cables.

Side by side with increased underground cabling Elenia also improves security of supply by several thousands of kilometres of tree clearance both within as well outside of the line corridors. Elenia has over 71,800 kilometres of electricity network and 430,000 customers.