The Baltic Sea needs port investments. By the end of the decade, 12.5 percent of the European offshore wind fleet could be located in this region, but it needs prepared service and installation ports. The port of Klaipeda has great aspirations too. Director-General of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, Algis Latakas, commented for BalticWind.EU.
According to Wind Europe’s calculations, only ports in European waters require investments of about EUR 6.5 billion by 2030 in the context of offshore wind development. The development of wind turbines in the Baltic Sea creates great opportunities for the Baltic Sea, including Lithuania and the port of Klaipeda.
Lithuania is the most attractive location for manufacturers in Europe and second in the world (according to the Manufacturing Risk Index by Cushman&Wakefield, 2018). 18 % of the Klaipeda region labour pool works in the manufacturing sector. There are 270 companies in the maritime sector in Klaipeda. The port of Klaipėda is the EU’s most profitable port, offering deep-water, ice-free port services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year round. Now in Klaipeda are a lot of companies associated with the wind sector like Enercon, BOTC, Western Shipyard BLRT Grupp, Devold, Jupiter Bach and Diab.
In autumn 2021, representatives of RWE Renewables, one of the largest energy companies in the Baltic Sea region, visited the port of Klaipeda in October to discuss offshore wind development in the Baltic Sea. Moreover, the Port Development Council, chaired by Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis, met in Klaipeda in November 2021 to discuss ways to speed things up. The Port Development Council consists of representatives from the government, various ministries, public authorities, business associations and scientific institutions. It organises and submits proposals to the government on identifying priority areas for the economic development of ports and other issues.
“In order to develop sustainable energy resources, thus reducing environmental pollution and increasing Lithuania’s energy independence, Lithuania is actively preparing for the development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea. The selection of a wind farm construction service should take place in 2023”, said Algis Latakas, Director General of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.
Latakas outlined that the development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea is provided for in the National Energy Strategy and the National Energy and Climate Action Plan.
“The Klaipėda Seaport, we hope will become an extremely important resource platform for this project, as it is planned to transship the wind farm components in the seaport, as well as transport, store and assemble them”, he added.
Companies interested in participating in offshore wind project
The Seaport Authority has conducted a survey of existing Seaport users who, taking into account their business and development plans, would be interested in diversifying part of their activities for wind farm production or storage activities in the future…
The full commentary is available in BalticWind.EU Country Report LITHUANIA Q4 2021