The two power cables will connect the Baltic power grids with the continental European grid. The project is called Harmony Link and starts from Zarnowiec in Poland, via Sweden’s economic zone, to the north of Sventoji in Lithuania.
The two companies – Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne and Litgrid AB – plan to plow down the cables about 1.25 meters into the bottom, either with a vessel that plows and lays the cables or by two vessels performing the same maneuver.
The total route is 350 kilometers long, of which 15 kilometers pass through Sweden’s economic zone – therefore the government’s approval is required. In addition, they want to lay down a fiber optic cable along the same route.
According to the companies’ application, the high-current cables will lead to a more integrated European electricity market.
The companies have investigated the environmental impact the cable placement may have and, overall, the operation is judged to have a negligible impact on the marine environment and the surroundings in general.
However, the Norwegian Sea and Water Authority has noted that the Baltic porpoise has its mating area approximately 36 kilometers from the cable route and that porpoises can swim into the cable area, which is why the companies should notify the county administration well in advance of the work and take appropriate protective measures.
The government also gives permission for the company Globalconnect to lay an optical fiber cable between Bornholm, Öland and Gotland. The fiber cable will provide better telecommunications between Denmark and Öland–Gotland.