Transmission capacity available for reservation on Fingrid's cross-border connections from Russia

Fingrid, the Finnish transmission system operator, offers to the electricity market parties electricity transmission capacity through its cross-border connections from Russia. As of the beginning of 2008, all commercial transmission capacity totalling to 1 300 megawatts (MW), will be released.The transmission capacity is offered to the electricity market parties at equal, separately defined transmission and price terms. As of the beginning of 2008, total of 1 300 MW of transmission capacity can be reserved. Electricity imports from Russia are governed through an agreement drawn between the grid operator FGC UES of Russia and Fingrid as well as through transmission agreements drawn with individual importers. These all agreements will expire at the turn of the year. This will allow further development of the use of the cross-border capacity in a more market-based fashion as electricity is imported from Russia to the Nordic electricity market. Transmission reservations for contract periods starting at the beginning of the next year are asked to be submitted to Fingrid by the end of September. It is likely that the contract periods will be limited to one year only. The smallest unit that can be reserved is 50 MW. Method for compensation of electricity transits hosted by European power grids (ITC-method) is under continuous state of development. It is envisaged that a revised method will be put into effect in the beginning of the year 2008 and as such it may have an impact on the fees collected from the Russian imports. Fingrid offers its transmission connections from Russia available to all electricity market parties for import purposes at equal, uniform and public principles. The current service description for cross-border connections from Russia is provided at Fingrid website http://www.fingrid.fi.
Fingrid`s nation wide power grid has a crucial role in the Finnish power system. Fingrid owns the Finnish main grid and all significant cross-border connections. It has a total of 14 000 kilometres of transmission lines and 105 substations. Customers comprise electricity producers, major industrial enterprises, and regional and distribution network companies. Further information: Fingrid Oyj/ Matti Tähtinen, Director + 358 (0)30 395 5180,
+ 358 (0)400 417 703