Eolus and PNE have created a joint venture for developing the Kurzéme offshore wind project in Latvia. The wind farm will have approximately 1,000 MW installed capacity with planned commercial operation start before 2030. The project area is located in the Baltic Sea outside the west coast of Latvia and the wind farm will have [...]
The year 2022 was full of events that are permanently changing the conditions for the offshore wind industry. We asked industry leaders and key policy-makers for their assessment of what has been achieved in the past year and what the forecasts are for 2023. In today’s interview of the „Baltic Sea Offshore Wind – 2022 [...]
The energy crisis in the Baltic Sea region might be solved by generating less expensive power in Estonia instead of building another “A to B” link with Finland, according to the CEO of Estonian power company Eesti Energia Hando Sutter. In his opinion, another submarine cable in the Baltic Sea region should rather run along [...]
EU countries have earmarked around 52,000 km2 for wind energy development, as shown in WindEurope's analysis of offshore spatial plans. Such an area, if fully utilized, will allow the installation of 220 GW of wind power. Among the leaders are Belgium and Germany, which together want to allocate 15% of their territorial waters for wind [...]
The leaders of the Baltic Sea electricity transmission system operators met in Helsinki on 2nd of November to discuss the energy crisis in Europe and the electricity adequacy of the region. The transmission system operators of the Baltic Sea region actively cooperate and share information on the security and the electricity supply situation in the [...]
Today, the Estonian Government confirmed the location of the ELWIND joint Estonian-Latvian offshore wind energy project in the Estonian maritime area. Based on studies and analyses, the most suitable development area for the joint project in Estonian waters is the sea area west of the Sõrve peninsula. "Estonia's offshore wind energy is an untapped potential [...]
The partners intend to jointly develop, build and operate offshore wind farms. Latvenergo offers deep knowledge of the Latvian energy market and regulations, as well as experience in electricity supply, while RWE brings its technical expertise from 20 years of experience in offshore wind power. […]
On 30 August 2022 the Heads of Governments and Energy Ministers of the 8 countries around the Baltic Sea signed the Marienborg Declaration. They committed to new volumes for the build-out of offshore wind in the Baltic Sea and agreed to cooperate more closely on it and on energy more [...]
On final reading on July 14, the Latvian Parliament approved amendments to the Energy Law and the Electricity Market Law prepared by the Ministry of Economics, contributing to strengthening Latvia’s energy security and independence. The new legislation will promote the development of RES, support energy efficiency and more active citizen [...]
As of 1 July 2022, Latvia will be the Chair of HELCOM until 30 June 2024. The chairmanship rotates between Contracting Parties every two years, in alphabetical order. […]
The activities were inaugurated by the Polish-Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry based in Riga, which brings together companies, institutions and individuals interested in the development of economic relations between Poland and Latvia. Among the founding members of the Chamber is ORLEN Lietuva – ORLEN Latvija, a company planning investments in wind energy. […]
The Baltic Regional Coordination Centre (Baltic RCC) has officially started operations in Tallinn. An executive was elected for this purpose. The purpose of the center will be to coordinate the planning of the development of electricity systems as well as some of the day-to-day activities of the operators to guarantee the security of electricity supply. [...]
According to Lithuanian media, Latvia has expressed no objection to the construction of a large offshore wind farm near the common border. This was announced by the Ministers of Environment of Lithuania and Latvia. […]
Latvia plans to implement new regulations that will accelerate the pace of development of wind farm projects. The government’s plans were announced by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Artūrs Toms Plešs, during a press briefing on March 21. A special law will be drafted for this purpose. [...]
There is no longer any doubt that wind energy in the Baltic Sea region will play a key role in the development of green hydrogen production. Recently, the BASREHRT project – the Baltic Sea Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Experts Roundtable – was launched. It is a platform for cooperation in [...]
The Latvian government has decided to reject an application from Danish RES developer Ørsted, in cooperation with Estonian partner Eesti Energia, related to the construction and location of an offshore wind farm in Latvian waters. The decision is driven by the need to find a suitable location for the Latvian-Estonian [...]
Estonian grid operator Elering and Latvian operator Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST) commissioned consulting firm BLIX to complete a four-level study that concludes that there are no obstacles to the healthy development of offshore wind in the Baltic Sea region. […]
In the wake of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, the operators of the Baltic transmission systems – Augstsprieguma tīkls of Latvia, Litgrid of Lithuania, and Elering of Estonia – have agreed to limit the total capacity of electricity imports from Russia. […]
Latvian electricity system operator AS Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST) has announced that a Regional Coordination Center for the Baltic region will be established this year. A special company, Baltic RCC, will be established for this purpose. […]
Deputy Prime Minister of Poland and Minister of State Assets, Jacek Sasin, began an economic visit to Latvia on January 14. Representatives of Poland and Latvia talked about issues related to, among others, energy […]
The Baltic Sea will be one of the European regions supporting the European Union’s energy transition. Particular potential is seen in offshore wind energy. We talk about the role of the Baltic Sea in decarbonising the region’s economies with Rytis Kėvelaitis, Founder and CEO at Energy Unlimited. Kėvelaitis stressed that three Baltic states, Lithuania, [...]
A Dutch trade mission will visit the Baltic States from 31 January to 4 February 2022. Representatives of the Dutch offshore wind industry will look for business opportunities in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. […]
The Presidents of the Baltic States, i.e. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, met on 15 November in Vilnius and signed the “Baltic Road to Climate Neutrality” Declaration . The document envisages joint action and cooperation of the Baltic States in a number of areas for the benefit of the climate. Among [...]
The Baltic electricity transmission system operators (TSO) Elering, AST (JSC “Augstsprieguma tīkls”) and Litgrid entered into an agreement to establish a Baltic Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) based in Tallinn and submitted a corresponding proposal to the competition authorities of the three countries. […]
The Estonian TSO Elering AS and the Latvian TSO Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST) are developing a business case, investigating the possibilities to invest in an offshore grid. In order to evaluate the business cases of future projects, an offshore grid technology catalogue is needed. BLIX Consultancy has been commissioned to perform [...]
Estonian media reports that the Ministry of the Environment has approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) program for the Saare offshore wind farm. The wind power plant, with a capacity of up to 1400 MW, will be installed in the waters off the western side of the island of Saaremaa. The [...]
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas visited Latvia on 15th October. She met with Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, with whom she discussed, among other things, on energy security. One of the topics discussed was offshore wind energy. […]
Latvian transmission system operator Augstsprieguma tīkls AS (AST) has presented an investment plan worth up to €401 million. The operator’s aim until 2030 is to develop the transmission grid in terms of reliable energy supply and to increase integration of more RES sources. […]
Hando Sutter, CEO of Estonian company Eesti Energia, addressed Konkurentsiamet, the Estonian Competition Authority, concerning offshore wind energy development. Sutter doubts that grid operator Elering is treating all market participants equally. […]
On 16 August WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson spoke at the kick-off meeting of the ELWIND project, the joint Estonia/Latvia project to develop a hybrid offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga. Dickson gave an introduction about offshore wind developments in Europe and shared the experience of past and existing [...]
The Estonian Ministry of Economy and Communications announced the selection of a contractor for a preliminary feasibility study for the ELWIND offshore wind farm project. Hendrikson & KO and Pondera Consult will take on the challenges. […]
The Transmission System Operators – Latvian AS Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST) and Estonian Elering AS, in scope of the ELWIND project, together with an Estonian consultant Skepast & Puhkim OÜ will carry out an in-depth study of possible onshore land line corridors towards the planned offshore wind park sites which have [...]
Estonian electricity system operator Elering and the Latvian system operator AST formally launched the third Estonian-Latvian electricity connection, which inter alia creates the prerequisites for developing an offshore network and the related building of offshore wind farms. […]
The European Commission (EC) has adopted a package of legislative proposals setting out legislative tools to achieve Europe’s climate goals which will promote greener solutions, sustainability and energy independence. The main changes include improving the legislation to promote wider use of renewable energy, an elaborated and stricter system of emission [...]
A public procurement notice for the construction of an Estonian-Latvian offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea has appeared in the Estonian Public Procurement Register. The tender concerns the implementation of the ELWIND feasibility study. […]
The first online hackathon «HACK DigitalSea’21» in the Baltics was launched in 3-4 of July, where participants sought innovative solutions to the acute challenges for sustainable aquaculture in the Baltic Sea. In two of the three categories, the awards worth 4000 EUR were won by teams from Latvia – PurOceans [...]
Four new and significant members have joined the Latvian Wind Energy Association (LWEA) in the last six months – renewable energy project developer Sunly, number one offshore wind developer globally Ørsted, solar and wind farm developer European Energy and SIA Gaismas rati, a local company offering high altitude solutions. [...]
Latvia also wants to join the peloton of countries developing offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea. As it turns out, the country's potential is large. We ask Andris Vanags, head of the Latvian Wind Energy Association, about the perspectives for the new industry. LWEA has been the voice of the wind industry in [...]
Vestas, the largest producer of wind turbines, is entering the Latvian energy market. The Danish company will deliver turbines to the construction site of the Targale onshore wind farm in Latvia. Vestas opened its first office in Latvia in April 2021. The plan is also to launch a service hub near the port of [...]
Electricity Transmission System Operators in Latvia and Estonia, AS Augstsprieguma tikls (AST) and Elering AS, have signed a cooperation agreement to investigate possible ways to evacuate power from planned offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea and connect them to onshore transmission systems in both countries. Operators informed that preliminary analysis of the route [...]