Narva's district heating has long been very costly for residents, prompting heating network Narva Soojusvõrk to launch a tender to find a more affordable solution. Enefit Industry won the tender in February, offering a heat price of €53.80 per megawatt‑hour, and has now moved into the pre‑design phase.

To proceed, Enefit is seeking a designer who will apply for construction permits from Narva and Narva‑Jõesuu and determine the exact route of the pipeline.

"The design process is planned to run from this summer until next spring. During that time, approvals from network operators and landowners must be obtained, along with the construction permit," Enefit's head of communications Lennart Komp told ERR.

The plan foresees the pipeline running partly on above‑ground support structures and partly underground. It will end at the Narva district heating connection point at the Balti Elektrijaam power plant, which is also the starting point of the city's heating network.

Noise barriers will be designed at several points along the route to protect nearby properties.

The total length of the pipeline will be about 18.7 kilometers, capable of transferring 300 gigawatt‑hours of heat per year. The maximum heat capacity under the contract is 85 megawatts, though the possibility of transporting up to 120 megawatts is being analyzed.

"Construction will begin in 2027 after all necessary permits are obtained, and the system will be operational no later than December 1, 2028," Komp said.

Eesti Energia noted in spring that converting the fifth unit of the Eesti Power Plant to gas fuel will cost around €50 million, about half of which is for building the heating pipeline.

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