Lithuania's First Offshore Wind Farm Could Include 16 MW Turbines

The first offshore wind project in Lithuania's Baltic Sea area might include wind turbines with capacities of up to 16 MW apiece, with a minimum of 43 units erected at a specified site about 29 kilometers offshore.

The quantity and capacity of potential wind turbines were indicated in the most recent news release from the Lithuanian government, which announced on October 15 that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) program for the project had been prepared.

The program was created as a result of an agreement reached in August between the Ministry of Energy and the Institute of Coastal Research and Planning on the environmental impact evaluation of offshore wind farms proposed for development in Lithuanian waters.

The Lithuanian government approved a resolution in June 2020 to hold a tender for 700 MW of offshore wind and to choose a location for the country's first offshore wind farm. After all of the essential steps and research have been performed, the auction is scheduled to take place in 2023.

An environmental impact assessment is one of the preliminary tasks that must be completed prior to the proposed tender. The EIA will assess alternatives and mitigation or compensation strategies, as well as the potential direct and indirect consequences of the proposed offshore wind project on the environment and public health.

Taking into account technology development trends and technical solutions of existing wind farms in the Baltic and North Seas, as well as the economic efficiency aspect of implementing advanced wind energy technologies, Lithuania's first offshore wind farm is expected to have turbines ranging from 8 MW to 16 MW, with 43 to 87 units.

The analysis of alternatives will assess the impact of the offshore wind farm from various perspectives and identify alternative measures to mitigate the potential impact of installation, operation, and decommissioning, as well as develop alternative capacity and location options for offshore wind farms.

In the development of environmental impact papers, special attention will be devoted to bird monitoring, with the survey requiring two summer-winter seasons.

According to previous information, Lithuania intends to fund and build the offshore wind project using a Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism, with a transmission system operator (TSO) responsible for grid connection infrastructure.

The Lithuanian government adopted the conclusion of the country's Ministry of Energy in August, which should improve circumstances for offshore wind energy development in the Baltic Sea.

The legislation lays out suggestions that are primarily concerned with the terms of the future tender and the scope of the future developer's duties.

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