Lithuanian technical consultancy Ardynas has won a contract from the Ministry of Energy in Lithuania to prepare a special plan and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of a site earmarked for offshore wind farm development.
The 18-month contract will see Ardynas determine specific areas and boundaries for wind farm development to be carried out in stages, the ministry said.
It will also develop the concept for connecting future plants to a transformer substation in the Baltic Sea, as well as requirements for site management, maintenance and other necessary requirements.
The SEA will identify, describe and assess potential significant consequences of offshore wind farm development in the Baltic Sea and consider solutions.
Lithuanian deputy energy minister Daiva Garbaliauskaite said: “The offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea is one of the most important projects envisaged in the National Energy Independence Strategy, which will increase the production of local electricity from renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on electricity imports.”
Ardynas secured the contract following an open international tender.
The ministry added that another tender is currently underway to find a company to carry out an environmental impact assessment of wind farms in the Baltic Sea.
The assessment would identify the potential direct and indirect impacts of offshore wind.
The Lithuanian parliament is also currently considering a package of draft laws to regulate the support model for offshore renewable energy and the model for connecting offshore power plants to onshore electricity networks.
The country is planning to develop 700MW as a first step, with the government aiming to hold an auction in 2023 for a project to be in the water by the end of the decade.