Estonian energy company Eesti Energia has announced that work has begun on the environmental impact assessment of the Liivi offshore wind farm, which will be built in the waters of the Gulf of Riga. A consulting firm Skepast&Puhkim is responsible for preparing the assessment.
The Liivi offshore wind farm will be located about 10 km from the island of Kihnu and 16 km from the city of Häädemeeste. The capacity of the installation will reach 1 GW and consist of 50-100 wind turbines. However, as we read on the project’s website, this number may decrease as the turbine technology develops. The farm will cover an area of 183 km2 and it will be built in partnership with Danish developer Ørsted, which began in 2020. The power plant will be able to provide about 4 TWh of electricity per year, covering half of Estonia’s energy consumption. Construction will be completed before 2030.
Liivi project goals | Graphics: liivimeretuulepark.ee
Margus Vals, Board Member of Eesti Energia, emphasized that the investment will significantly reduce the average annual electricity price and accelerate Estonia’s transition to innovative technologies and different ways of energy storage, such as hydrogen.
Investors rely on close cooperation with local authorities
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be conducted by the consulting firm Skepast&Puhkim OÜ. Vals indicated that the EIA will provide answers to the question of whether and how to implement the wind investment. It will include environmental studies to assess the potential significant environmental and other impacts of the farm. It will also apply measures to prevent and mitigate significant adverse environmental effects associated with the construction of the wind farm.
Skepast&Puhkim as a leading consulting company in Estonia will apply its expertise in infrastructure, planning and environmental protection to the EIA work. The cooperation with Eesti Energia is based on close cooperation with local authorities and experts at all stages of the work. In the next step, the companies will present the details of the EIA to local government representatives from the Kihnu and Häädemeeste wind farm areas.
