Posts Tagged ‘Infrastructure’
Important investment in the Szczecin port completed
The adaptation of the Grain Quay to a depth of 12.5 m in the port of Szczecin has become a fact. The investment by the Szczecin and Sea Port Authority significantly increased the transshipment capacity of the Grain Quay by being ready to handle larger ships than before – with a draft of up to 11.0 m (i.e. the same ones that can enter Szczecin via the deepened waterway).
Before the investment, the depth at the quay was 10 m. This means that we could handle ships with a maximum draft of up to 8.5-9 m. Now it is two meters more.
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Originally published on 3 Apr
Read MoreEstonia makes major step forward in Rail Baltica project: route plan approved for Pärnumaa section
Today the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications in Estonia announced a major advancement in the project’s development. Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry, Erkki Keldo, has signed a decree confirming the route plan for the Pärnumaa section of Rail Baltica, enabling construction to begin in a region where progress had been halted since a Supreme Court ruling partially annulled the previous plan in 2020.
“Rail Baltica is a strategically important infrastructure project for Estonia and the entire Baltic region. It will create a modern and environmentally friendly transport connection with the European railway network, reduce road traffic congestion, and foster economic development while also serving as a backbone for military mobility on NATO’s eastern flank,” said Minister Keldo.
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Originally published on 2 Apr
Read MoreRepresentatives of Swedish design company Tyréns discussed plans and progress of Rail Baltica project in Lithuania
Executives from Tyréns, one of Sweden’s largest design companies, and its Lithuanian branch have visited the Rail Baltica construction sites. The meeting with representatives of LTG Infra, the company implementing Rail Baltica in Lithuania, have discussed the ongoing and planned works. LTG Infra is currently focusing on securing design capacity and invites both Lithuanian and international design companies to work in Lithuania and contribute to the Rail Baltica project. According to Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra, one of the biggest challenges for Rail Baltica now is to secure design resources for the planning of future high-speed railway sections.
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Originally published on 25 Mar
Read MoreBornholm’s bright idea for charging cars has proved its potential
An experiment in Rønne, on Bornholm, that has seen three streetlights doubling as charging points for electric cars since last May is being wound down after demonstrating its potential.
To date, there have been over 500 charging sessions. That, according to Beof, the island’s power company, is enough for it to conclude that the idea of integrating charging points into urban infrastructure is viable.
Beof and Spirii, which installs and runs charging kit, have been running the year-long project with the permission of the island council. Its members must now decide whether to make charging points a permanent fixture on street lights. Beof’s advice is that they should, since it would make it easy to build-out a charging network, without having to add new infrastructure to an often-cluttered cityscape.
For councils elsewhere considering something similar, the use rate is a good argument in favour of proceeding, but Beof underscores the need for clear guidelines and healthy portion of foresight. Without them, the idea is likely to short-circuit.
Read MoreOpinion Securing the Baltic Sea’s built seascapes
THE BALTIC SEA is evolving into a built seascape. Protecting it requires co-operation and security strategies, alongside the advances in renewable energy and improved digital connectivity that can harmonise innovation with environmental protection.
Read MoreAnalysis Securing critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region
THE EU AND the circum-Baltic states have made progress connecting the region and increasing prosperity, but Russian political warfare—including the destruction of critical infrastructure and assassinations throughout Europe threatens those objectives.
Read MoreIgnitis ON network to install 500 charging points with the help of EUR 16 million EU financial support
In the coming years Ignitis ON, the leading EV fast-charging network, will become even larger and more convenient for EV drivers. The European Union (EU) made a decision to allocate EUR 16 million for the charging network’s expansion. The grant will help fund the installation of 500 new charging points. It is the largest-ever allocated sum to a charging network operator in the Baltics.
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Originally published on 27 Feb
Read MoreFrom Tallinn to Warsaw: Rail Baltica’s progress in Poland strengthens high-speed connectivity across Europe
In the Rail Baltica project, envisioned as a seamless corridor stretching from Warsaw to Tallinn, Poland plays a crucial role as a strategic partner, serving as the gateway connecting Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia with the broader European rail network. While work on Rail Baltica has been progressing in all three Baltic countries, with 43% of the mainline expected to be construction-ready and actively under development by the end of this year, the Polish section has also experienced continuous development for several years.
Rail Baltica team recently conducted a visit to Poland to assess modernization efforts and observe the progress of the railway line that will connect Poland to the Lithuanian border.
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Originally published on 24 Feb
Read MoreNato looks to Baltic as proving ground for AI, crewless vessels
Nato says it is ready to deploy artificial intelligence and uncrewed vessels in the Baltic as part of its increasing efforts to detect the telltale activity that could indicate that a ship is preparing to damage undersea cables and pipelines.
The military alliance’s hope is that it can use software to process information from satellite imagery, sonar systems and underwater sensors to spot merchant vessels that appear to be acting erratically above undersea infrastructure.
The software, known as Mainsail (a backronym for Multi-Domain Awareness and Insight with AI Layering), has been developed in response to concerns that Russia is engaged in a campaign of damaging undersea infrastructure in and around Europe.
The most dramatic of example of an attack on undersea infrastructure was the 2022 sabatoge of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The evidence there points to Ukraine, but similar incidents in which Moscow is implicated were recorded before then; in recent months, the number has increased rapidly.
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In November and December of 2024 alone, three separate cables carrying internet data and power between in the Baltic, connecting five Nato members—Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden—were severely damaged in incidents.
In most incidents, the damaging vessel—Russian or otherwise—cannot be identified, just as it is impossible to ascertain whether the damage was intentional. Both are often due to a lack of information. As a result, Nato has increased its presence in the Baltic Sea. It is hoped that, where they cannot deter future attacks, they can at least help to clear up which vessel is at fault.
As part of this effort, it is incorporating autonomous vessels that will be able to conduct persistent surveillance over large areas.
Labelled Task Force X, all members of the alliance were invited on to take part, but the hope is that Baltic Rim states will be among those to take the lead.
Nato says the countries taking contributing to the initiative are free to deploy their own assets, making it a proving ground of sorts that puts emerging technologies into active service.