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Lithuanian parliament mulls over offshore wind scheme

By: Tom Russell 30/09/2020 Lithuanian Ministry of Energy

General Windfarms

The Seimas (the Parliament of Lithuania) has started its assessment of draft amendments to legislation prepared by the Ministry of Energy to support the development of wind energy in the Baltic Sea. The first offshore wind auction is expected to take place as early as 2023.

The new legislation proposes to establish a support model for offshore wind energy and the principles for its determination. As in other EU countries, it has been established that the development of wind energy will be financed using the contract for difference model, with the first auction scheduled for 2023.

In line with the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, Lithuania envisions that installation of transmission networks connecting offshore power plants will be the responsibility of the electricity transmission system operator.

“Lithuania's strategic goals are to increase local electricity production and reduce dependence on imports, to promote renewable energy and to do so in the most efficient way. It is the offshore wind that makes it possible to achieve these goals through an open and transparent competition. This energy source has great prospects, and Lithuania has favorable opportunities to develop it,” said Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas.

The Lithuanian government has previously announced plans to support the development of an offshore wind farm with a capacity of up to 700 MW in the Baltic Sea. The project is planned to be constructed by 2030 in a Baltic Sea territory nearly 30 kilometres from the shore. A wind farm of this capacity in the Baltic Sea is expected to produce approximately 2.5-3 TWh of electricity per year, which is nearly a quarter of Lithuania’s current electricity demand. It is estimated that wind farms of this capacity will pull in as much as EUR 1 billion in private investments. The territory planned in the Baltic Sea for the wind turbines covers an area of 137.5 km2, with a distance from shore of approximately 29 km, an average water depth of 35 m, and an average wind speed of approximately 9 m/s.

The Lithuanian Energy Agency has already started the necessary preparatory work - preparation of a special plan, assessment of strategic consequences for the environment, wind measurement, bottom research and environmental impact assessment. All these preparatory works will be completed by the auction date provided for in the draft law.

If the Seimas approves these projects, this regulatory environment will also have to be agreed with the European Commission on compliance with state aid requirements.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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Lithuanian parliament mulls over offshore wind scheme

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