The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy is has held a public consultation to discuss the preparations for its second offshore wind auction, the terms and conditions of the auction, and the planned date of the procurement.
Following consultation, the auction is planned to be launched in January next year, with the exact date to be decided by the Government in the near future.
Deputy Minister of Energy Daiva Garbaliauskaitė said: “Offshore wind farms, together with onshore renewable energy projects, are crucial to strengthening Lithuania’s energy independence.
“Due to changes in economic circumstances, the situation in the renewable energy sector worldwide is changing dynamically and this is influencing investors’ plans.
“During the consultation year, our aim is not only to provide them with all the information they need about the planned auction, but also to secure feedback from investors, which will help us to organise a competitive auction on the most attractive terms.”
At the remote meeting, market participants were informed about the €193m Lithuanian support scheme for offshore wind farms approved by the European Commission.
They were also briefed on the legislation governing the project, the preparatory work carried out on the seabed, wind speeds, environmental impact assessment and further work.
The public consultation was attended by more than 100 pre-registered participants.
According to the Ministry, a 700MW power plant park in the Baltic Sea could produce up to 3 TWh of green electricity per year, which would provide up to a quarter of Lithuania’s electricity needs and reduce the country’s dependence on electricity imports.
The area of the first offshore wind park in the Baltic Sea is 136 km2 and the distance to the Port of Klaipėda is about 38 kilometres.