This year four "Kurzeme Ring" stages will be switched to voltage

Development

Under the stage three construction of the "Kurzeme Ring" power line from Ventspils to Riga it is planned to switch four 110 kV stages to voltage – Ventspils-Dundaga, Sloka-Dzintari, Tume-Tukums and Dzintari-Priedaine. Currently more than 62% of line pylons or 444 have been constructed and 113 km of conductors have been installed. 

"At the moment construction work is carried out in three stages: Ventspils-Dundaga, Talsi-Kandava, Tume-Tukums, Tukums-Kemeri, Sloka-Dzintari and Dzintari-Priedaine. Each stage has a different level of preparedness and speed of work, however overall the process is satisfying and at the moment half of the works planned have been completed," says Arnis Staltmanis, board member at AS Augstsprieguma tikls commenting on the work process at the "Kurzeme Ring".

The reconstructed lines are mainly located in the current line route. 110 kV circuits are gradually connected to the network after the construction of the next stage. However, operation of the 330 kV transmission line will only be started after all of the works are completed, as planned in 2019. 

The construction of the transmission line is implemented by the general partnership LEC, RECK and Empower upon the order of AST. The total length of the line is 214 km, total costs – EUR 127 million, of which EUR 55 million are co-financed by the European Union.

Construction works of the power line were started in summer 2017. The third stage of the ‘Kurzeme Ring’ will connect 330 kV substations ‘Ventspils’ in Venstpils and ‘Imanta’ in Riga, crossing Ventspils City, Ventspils, Dundaga, Talsi, Kandava, Tukums, Engure and Babīte regions, as well as the territories of Jūrmala and Riga cities. The first two stages of the ‘Kurzeme Ring’ – construction of a 330 kV power transmission cable line in Riga and reconstruction of the existing 110 kV power transmission line in the section Grobiņa – Ventspils, reinforcing with a 330 kV line – have already been implemented.

The new power transmission line will basically remain within the borders of the existing transmission lines. To provide the required distances from buildings, roads, crossed communications, nature protection territories and historic-cultural monuments in separate locations, the line may be constructed by forming a new route. In total the power line route will cross more than 1500 land properties.