Enefit 280-2 is Eesti Energia's third and most modern oil plant, costing a total of nearly €400 million to build. At full capacity, the oil plant, which employs 150 people, could produce up to 250,000 tonnes of shale oil per year.

The launching of the plant, which is located in Auvere, Ida-Viru County, will take several months. Oil production will begin in April 2026.

"We have already carried out hot start-up at certain stages, including fuel supply. We are currently in the midst of the hot start-up phase, where we already have oil shale oil burners active and under pressure," said Eesti Energia board member Lauri Karp.

"What we want to achieve with the hot start-up next year is condensation. Everything is happening in stages, there are hundreds of these systems, and we are looking at whether these systems are for the input of raw materials," Karp added.

"This oil plant is capable of operating for another 30 years, so in the interests of the Estonian economy, we ought to consider whether the oil industry will disappear in 2034 or continue operating until 2040+. I am in favor of the latter, because there are jobs here, there is an impact on GDP, and there is certainly a lot more that can be done in connection with this oil industry," Karp explained.

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