During the meetings with potential investors, the connection of the wind farm to the transmission grid, the voltage of the interconnector, the width of the interconnector corridor and other technical issues of the project, as well as legislative changes related to the implementation of the project, the project calendar and the future construction of the wind farm – questions related to logistics and supply of materials – will be discussed.
Those interested in the implementation and technical aspects of the project, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
INFORMATION ON THE OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT IN THE BALTIC SEA
Public institution Lithuanian Energy Agency, in the exercise of the powers granted by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, has assessed the need for mandatory marine surveys and actions in the territory of the territorial sea of the Republic of Lithuania and/or the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea, where it is appropriate to organise a call for the development and operation of power plants using renewable energy sources.
Following the identification of the need and the preparation of the necessary documents to organise the procurement of surveys and services, public institution Lithuanian Energy Agency initiated an international public procurement process related to this project in order to identify the service providers to carry out the surveys and services envisaged.
Objectives of the Engineering Infrastructure Development Plan
to identify specific areas for the phased development and operation of offshore wind farms, including an assessment of the current situation and taking into account the phased nature of the wind farm development;
• to prepare a concept (at least 2 alternatives) and solutions for the connection of offshore wind farms to a transformer substation in the Baltic Sea (hereinafter referred to as offshore transformer substation) in accordance with the issued planning conditions, including preliminary locations for the connection of the offshore wind farms to the offshore cables and the offshore transformer substation in accordance with the prepared alternatives;
• to specify the survey and conceptual design solutions required for the subsurface investigations to be carried out at the sites of the offshore transformer substations and the connection of the wind farms to the offshore transformer substation cables, according to the alternatives developed;
• to reserve territories within the boundaries of the engineering infrastructure development plan for wind farm boundaries, connection cables, access, construction, service corridors and other infrastructure facilities;
• to provide for special conditions for the use of the territory, conditions for the use, management, and protection of the planned territories and for the development of relevant activities in them, and other requirements;
• to prepare an engineering infrastructure development plan for the development of wind farms in the Baltic Sea with specific solutions;
• to carry out SEA procedures in accordance with the procedures set out in the Description of the procedure for strategic assessment of effects of the plans and programmes on the environment, approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania No. 967, dated 18 August 2004, “On the Approval of the Description of the Procedure for Strategic Assessment of Effects of the Plans and Programmes on the Environment”.
Environmental Impact Assessment
In order to install the first wind farm with an installed capacity of up to 700 MW in the territory approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 22 June 2020 “On the Identification of the Priority Parts of Lithuania’s Territorial Sea and/or the Lithuanian Exclusive Economic Zone in the Baltic Sea Where a Tender (Tenders) for the Development and Operation of Power Plants Using Renewable Energy Sources is (are) Expedient and on the Measurement of the Installed Capacities of Such Power Plants”, it is required to prepare the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) programme of a planned economic activity (PEA), as well as carry out the PEA procedures and prepare the EIA report in accordance with the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment of the Proposed Economic Activity of the Republic of Lithuania.
In 2021, public institution Lithuanian Energy Agency, acting under the mandate of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, carried out the public procurement procedures and identified a qualified supplier, “VšĮ Pajūrio tyrimų ir planavimo institutas”, which will carry out the environmental impact assessment procedures for the installation and operation of a wind farm of up to 700 MW installed capacity in the Lithuanian maritime territory and prepare the EIA report by the end of the third quarter of 2023.
In the first stage, an EIA programme was prepared, the purpose of which is to provide information on the location, nature, capacity and potential environmental impacts of the PEA and, accordingly, to provide for the content, scope and issues to be addressed in the EIA report.
Geological Surveys of Seafloor
The development of wind farms in the offshore territory of the Baltic Sea in the Republic of Lithuania is intrinsically linked to both the characteristics of the seafloor and the geological structure of the subsurface. The seafloor topography and its geological structure have a unique influence on the choice of structures and foundations for wind power plants.
In order to plan the installation of a wind farm in a rational way, all possible geological risks must be assessed, and objects on the seafloor, such as hazardous debris, unexploded ordnance, etc. must be analysed.
In this context, it is necessary to carry out complex geological and geophysical surveys in two phases, in varying degrees of detail, using complex engineering and geological survey methods.
In 2021, public institution Lithuanian Energy Agency, following the assignment of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, prepared the necessary documents and initiated an international public procurement to identify a provider to carry out geophysical and geotechnical seafloor surveys in the territory intended for wind power plant development in the Baltic Sea. The selected supplier is expected to be able to carry out the surveys within 11 months and the results will be available by mid-2023.
The main meteorological factor that determines the favourable conditions for offshore wind energy development is the wind potential. Wind speeds in the Lithuanian offshore territory have not been measured or studied in detail. Preliminary data (from mathematical modelling) suggest that the average wind speed in the planned wind farm territory may be around 9 m/s.
Wind speed measurements
In order to assess the offshore wind potential and other hydrometeorological data at the site of the future wind farm development in the Baltic Sea, public institution Lithuanian Energy Agency, acting under the mandate of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, has prepared the necessary documents and initiated an international public procurement in 2021 to identify a competent provider to carry out measurements of the wind speeds, water and other meteorological parameters in the planned territory. The prospective provider is expected to carry out the necessary measurements by mid-2023, i.e. until the planned procurement process for the authorisation of the use of a marine territory for the development of power plants and provided support is due to be announced.
The year-long surveys are planned to be carried out at two predetermined locations on the site, i.e. the survey stations. The measurements are to be carried out by means of permanently monitored, anchored floating stations equipped with all the necessary equipment. The sea depths at the planned locations of the wind speed measurement stations range from 36 m to 44 m.
The data obtained will be used to assess the wind energy potential and the hydro-meteorological conditions of the sea in the wind farm development area in the Baltic Sea.
