Important choice

Põhjarannik

It is quite difficult now to guess that an investment decision which is to be made within next few months by the owners of AS Kohtla-Järve Soojus, big companies Eesti Energia and Viru Keemia Grupp, will considerably affect the situation in Jõhvi and Ahtme.

The money spent on central heating is quite an important expense item of budget of the district with 30 000 residents. If heating price will sensibly increase within next years, it would mean the number of families would grow who are not able to pay communal services any more. Debts would grow, first there would be abandoned flats, then whole residential buildings. A part of wealthy residents would invest in cheaper alternative heating solutions. And the decrease in number of consumers would mean one more round of price rises for those who will remain.

Comparing to other Estonian regions, a cheaper electric power is now one of the competitive preferences of Jõhvi district. If it disappears, it would have an adversed affect on the enterprise development. That is why it is extremely important to make a decisive solution – whether to build a new combined power plant in Ahtme or a heating pipeline from Kohtla-Järve, – after all advantages and disadvantages have been carefully examined, and all potential impacts on supply accuracy, environment and price considered.