Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal aims to decommission a backup natural gas pipeline supplying Kaliningrad, prompting diplomatic talks with Latvia. The infrastructure, owned by Elering and previously unknown to recent energy ministers, currently moves no gas but remains available for Russian capacity reservation.
Estonian Prime Minister Plans Pipeline Shutdown
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal intends to initiate the decommissioning of a backup natural gas pipeline that connects Russia to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, according to reporting from Eesti Ekspress. The pipeline network belongs to the Estonian system operator Elering. The infrastructure consists of two 70-centimeter-diameter pipelines stretching 22 kilometers. The route originates in Russia, crosses the southeastern corner of Estonia into Latvia, and then runs through Lithuania to reach Kaliningrad.
Russia utilizes the pipeline under an existing agreement as a reserve supply route, even though Estonia banned the import of Russian natural gas in autumn 2022. This secondary channel serves Kaliningrad in the event that the primary pipeline running directly through Lithuania or the floating storage terminal in Kaliningrad experiences a failure.
Energy Ministers Discovered Active Transit Route
The oversight emerged, prompting immediate political intervention. The existence of the active backup transit route came as a surprise to top government figures.
In July 2023, approximately half a terawatt-hour of Russian natural gas passed through the pipeline, equating to roughly 15% of Estonia’s annual consumption. Following this disclosure, Prime Minister Michal decided to act. A similar volume of Russian natural gas moved through Estonia during the autumn of 2024, as noted by Interfax.
Latvian Shut-Off Valve Complicates Shutdown Plans
The physical obstacle in halting the transit is that the shut-off valve for the pipeline is located on Latvian territory. To execute the closure, URA reports that Michal plans to direct Minister of Energy and Environment Erki Keldo to negotiate with Latvia. Estonian authorities want to reach an agreement ensuring the pipeline is never opened for transit again.
Michal believes Estonia will be able to prohibit transit based on its sanctions if this is successful.