Aurora Line

Fingrid and the Swedish transmission system operator Svenska kraftnät are jointly building a new electricity transmission line between Finland and Sweden. Construction of the 380-kilometre transmission line, known as the Aurora Line, and the substations that are part of the project, have started. 

The transmission system operator Fingrid Oyj is, in cooperation with the Swedish transmission system operator Svenska kraftnät, building a new 400 kV transmission line from Pyhänselkä in Muhos via Keminmaa to Messaure on the Swedish side of the border. Aurora Line will be commissioned in 2025. Aurora Line will increase the cross-border capacity between the countries approximately by 900 MW in the direction from Finland to Sweden and 800 MW in the direction from Sweden to Finland.

The background for the transmission line project is electricity market needs for additional capacity between Sweden and Finland. Cross-border capacity between the countries is often inadequate, which means that the electricity market cannot function efficiently and electricity prices diverge. In an import situation, this increases the price of electricity in Finland. Furthermore, the Aurora Line improves security of supply and enables integration of RES in Nordics and Baltic Sea area.

In 2016, Fingrid and Svenska kraftnät completed a study on cross-border capacity development needs. According to the report, electricity transmission connections between Finland and Sweden are inadequate and so-called bottleneck situations are very likely also in the future, so a new transmission connection is needed. Various options for increasing electricity transmission capacity were examined, and a new alternating current connection between northern Finland and northern Sweden appeared to be the most feasible in terms of the socio-economic benefit and also technically. On 23 August 2017, Fingrid and Svenska kraftnät signed an agreement concerning the realisation principles for the new connection. The new connection improves security of supply and enables integration of RES in Nordics and Baltic Sea area.

Status as Project of Common Interest

The project has been granted with Project of Common Interest status on 23.11.2017. Status can be granted to projects which are deemed essential to the integration of the European energy markets and to achieve energy policy goals of the EU. Third AC interconnection between Finland and Sweden promotes all main goals of the EU energy policy; affordable, sustainable and secure energy.

The project has been granted with Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) support of 4.325 million euros for studies. Fingrid and Svenska kraftnät will apply together CEF-funding also for the construction phase. The national energy regulators of Finland and Sweden have made Cross Border Cost Allocation (CBCA) decision on the project in March 2020.

PCI numbers and descriptions are:

4.10 Cluster Finland – Sweden [currently known as "Third interconnection Finland – Sweden"], including the following PCIs: 

• 10.1 Interconnection between northern Finland and northern Sweden
• 10.2 Internal line between Keminmaa and Pyhänselkä (FI)

Learn more about PCIs

Aurora Line has been included into pan-European ENTSO-E Ten Year Network Development. The project has been evaluated in several occasions, most recently in 2020. The TYNDP process and identification of system needs has shown the need for the interconnector and its benefits for the region. 

Learn more about Aurora Line and TYNDP

Press Releases:

13.10.2023: Construction of the second phase of the Aurora Line to begin in Finland

2.12.2022: Progress on the Aurora Line – construction to Sweden continues

20.6.2022: Construction begins on the Aurora Line, a new electricity transmission link between Finland and Sweden

27.1.2022: EUR 127 million of EU grants for the Aurora Line electricity transmission link

Stage related info