Initial reports projected the outage would take 270 megawatts (MW) of the plant's capacity off the Nord Pool power exchange through January 14. Estonian state-owned energy group Eesti Energia now says repairs will continue into February.

"Under the revised schedule, Auvere Power Plant is expected to return to the market on February 10," said Raine Pajo, board chair of the Eesti Energia subsidiary Enefit Power.

He explained that the outage began January 7, caused by a crack in the masonry lining surrounding one of the plant's four heat exchangers. The plant was fully shut down two days later.

After it cooled, an on-site analysis that began January 12 showed the repairs would be more labor-intensive than first thought.

"The masonry linings carry hot ash at over 900 degrees Celsius into the heat exchangers, so we're replacing all four sets to prevent the same problem from happening in the others," the board chair said. "Work is already underway."

Temperatures in Estonia have plunged firmly into the double digits below zero, and electricity prices in the Baltic region have remained relatively high. Even so, Eesti Energia says the Auvere outage has had little effect on market prices.

"Auvere Power Plant, with its 260 MW of capacity, is part of the Baltic power grid, where current consumption exceeds 5,000 MW," Pajo said. "Higher prices are mainly being set by fossil fuel-fired plants, so this outage doesn't significantly affect electricity prices."

He added that other Enefit Power-operated plants are continuing to ensure Estonia's power supply.

Auvere Power Plant, an oil shale-fired facility owned by Eesti Energia, was taken over by the company in mid-2018. It has a designed reliability rate of 92 percent.

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