To reduce Lithuania’s dependence on electricity imports and to achieve full self-sufficiency in domestic renewable electricity by 2030, the Ministry of Energy is planning two offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 1.4 GW in the Baltic Sea in the territory of Lithuania. These farms could generate around 6 TWh of green electricity per year, which is around half of the current electricity demand of Lithuania.
Minister of Energy Dainius Kreivys emphasises that offshore wind will not only solve one of the most important energy and national security challenges, i.e. the shortage of local electricity generation: “The capacity of the two planned offshore wind farms is equivalent to the unbuilt Visaginas nuclear power plant, therefore offshore wind will plug the last hole in the shortage of generation, enable a huge growth in domestic green energy, and play a key role in Lithuania’s transformation from an electricity importer to an electricity exporter”.
Under the terms of the tendering procedure, the developer will be able to offer to develop the farm with or without state support, as well as compete for the amount of support requested: for all or part of the energy produced. The European Commission has also approved a scheme for possible state support. VERT has already set a maximum and minimum price at which the developer would commit to sell the electricity generated on the market.
Tenderers will have to have an average three-year revenue of at least EUR 250 million per year and at least 20 per cent of the project value in equity. The developer should have completed or have acquired the right to develop at least one offshore project with a capacity of at least 150 MW.
The successful tenderer will be required to contribute at least EUR 5 million to the environmental protection of the Lithuanian maritime area. Once the offshore wind farm is built, the developer will be obliged to make an annual contribution (EUR 1 per 1 MWh of electricity generated) to the communities of municipalities in the vicinity of the farm. Preliminary estimates suggest that this could amount to around EUR 3 million per year.
The area of the Baltic Sea designated for the farm is about 136 km2. It will be about 30 kilometres from the coast.
The Ministry of Energy has been organising preparatory works for the second offshore wind farm tender. The development plan for the offshore area for the development of renewable energy facilities has already been approved, a development plan for the connection of the wind farms to the onshore grid is being prepared, the environmental impact assessment report for the offshore wind farm has been approved, bottom geophysical and geotechnical surveys have been carried out in the offshore area for the development of the wind farm, and the wind speeds and other hydrometeorological parameters have been measured.
