Company briefs - 2011-01-06

Swiss-Swedish engineering group ABB on Dec. 17 signed a contract to build a power cable between Lithuania and Sweden, part of the efforts to connect the Baltic States to Western electricity markets, reports Reuters. Estonia already has one electric cable connection to Finland. ABB’s 270 million euro contract is to produce and install a 300 kilowatt cable for the NordBalt power interconnection. “At the end of 2015 we should see electricity starting to flow over this cable... This project will link the Nordic and Baltic states,” Lithuanian Deputy Energy Minister Romas Svedas told a news conference. “This would make the Baltic States an integral part of the Nordic electricity system,” he added.

Speed ship operator Lindaliini intends to launch a regular route between the Finnish capital Helsinki and Kuivastu port, which is the gateway to Estonia’s largest island, Saaremaa, in May, reports Meie Maa. Initially, Lindaliini intended to use its 400-seat catamaran Merilin during summer for charter trips on the route, but now the plan is to launch a regular route, with one departure a week, on Wednesdays. The route would be launched in the middle of May. According to current plans, the catamaran would depart from Helsinki at 2 p.m. and reach Kuivastu at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m. it would depart from Kuivastu and be in Helsinki at 11 p.m. A one-way trip from Helsinki to Kuivastu would cost around 40–50 euros, but with a return ticket one leg would be cheaper.