Measurements of wind speed and other parameters of the marine environment in the Baltic Sea have begun, the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy reports.

The research is being carried out under a contract between the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy and the Spanish company EOLOS Floating Lidar Solutions SL. 19 July this year, two buoys with specialized equipment to measure wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, peak period of the wave spectrum, peak wave height, current strength and direction, as well as water level were armed at two predetermined locations in the Baltic Sea.

The anchoring of the buoys was handled by the Lithuanian limited liability company Garant Diving together with Spanish specialists.

Data on hydrometeorological parameters will be acquired remotely from buoys for a period of one year. The collected data is to be processed by the end of July 2023. This is necessary for the preparation of tenders to be issued at the end of 2023 in connection with the development and operation of wind farms in Lithuania’s maritime territory.

For potential developers, the data will help in selecting wind turbine models, as well as assessing production capacity and lifetime.

According to estimates by the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy, an offshore wind farm with a capacity of about 700 MW installed in the Lithuanian maritime area will generate about 2.5-3 TWh of electricity per year, which is about 25% of Lithuania’s electricity needs.

Source: Ministry of Energy of Lithuania