Lithuanian Oil & LNG Company Joins PKN Orlen in Offshore Wind Market

July 8, 2022, by Adrijana Buljan

Lithuanian operator of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, KN (Klaipėdos Nafta AB), has signed a letter of intent with two companies in the Polish Orlen group, Orlen Neptun I and Energa Wytwarzanie, on cooperation in providing operation and maintenance (O&M) services for offshore wind farms in Lihtuania.

“The letter of intent sets out an agreement on the synergy and conditions for cooperation between the three parties in the development and implementation of an O&M strategy for wind farms in the Lithuanian part of the Baltic Sea”, KN said in a press release on 8 July.

“Initially, the O&M strategy for wind farms is foreseen to be developed for the possible operation of two wind farms in the Lithuanian part of the Baltic Sea, and if successful, the cooperation would expand to cover more projects”.

The O&M strategy is expected to be ready by the middle of 2023, according to KN. This is just before Lithuania plans to launch an auction for the development of the country’s first offshore wind farm, in which PKN Orlen plans to participate.

PKN Orlen, in partnership with Canada’s Northland Power, is currently developing the 1.2 GW Baltic Power offshore wind project in Poland, which secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) for the Polish government.

In Lithuania, Orlen Group plans to compete in the upcoming tender for the development of an offshore wind farm with a capacity of 700 MW, which the Lithuanian government expects to have operational as early as in 2028.