Lithuania picks location for 700-MW Baltic Sea offshore wind project

The government of Lithuania has selected the location for an up to 700-MW Baltic Sea offshore wind park, it said on Tuesday.

The specific area is located about 29 km from shore, in the Baltic Sea economic zone, and covers 137.5 sq km in average water depths of 35 m. The average wind speed there is around 9 m/s.

According to the government, the selected location is appropriate for the construction of a 700-MW wind complex that could potentially generate between 2.5 TWh and 3 TWh of electricity per year, or almost 25% of the country’s entire power demand. A project of this scale is expected to entail around EUR 1 billion (USD 1.13bn) in private investments.

The investors that will develop and operate offshore wind capacity in the area will be selected through a tender process, which will be held on February 1, 2023. Prior to this date, the Lithuanian Energy Agency will carry out an environmental assessment.

The wind farm is planned to be constructed by 2030.

“Our goal is to develop offshore wind in the most efficient and competitive way, and this will also be an opportunity to attract world-class investors to Lithuanian energy,” said minister of energy Zygimantas Vaiciunas.

In line with this project, the Lithuanian government has approved regulatory changes that enable the deployment of offshore wind capacity off the country's coast. The Ministry of Energy will take care of preparing all bills for a new support scheme for offshore wind projects in Lithuania’s territorial waters.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.130)

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