Lithuania Sets Date for First Offshore Wind Tender, Second One Coming This Fall

February 22, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

The Lithuanian government plans to announce the opening of the tender for the construction of the country’s first offshore wind farm at the end of March.

Preparations are now underway to announce the tender for the development of a 700 MW, subsidy-free offshore wind farm in the Lithuanian part of the Baltic Sea.

The country’s Ministry of Energy submitted for public consultation the drafts of the government’s resolutions regarding the location where the wind farm would be built, as well as the requirements for the bidders.

The wind farm will be located nearly 36 kilometres from the shore and is expected to be operational in 2028. The energy generated will provide up to a quarter of Lithuania’s total electricity demand.

“This is undoubtedly one of the most important projects in terms of strengthening energy independence. It will directly reduce the volume of electricity imports and create an opportunity to produce local cheaper green electricity. Due to the efficiency, the production of electricity from offshore wind has a greater potential than on land, so we must use this opportunity,” said Deputy Minister of Energy Daiva Garbaliauskaitė,

Garbaliauskaitė added that both Lithuanian and foreign developers are actively interested in the opportunity to participate in the tender.

The tender is expected to be won by the developer who offers the highest development fee to the state.

After the government adopts the resolutions, the State Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) should announce a tender to select the developer of this wind farm on 30 March.

The proposed government resolution stipulates requirements for participants’ financial capacity, experience in carrying out projects of this type, and obligations to contribute to environmental protection and the well-being of the coastal community.

The developer will have to carry out all necessary research, an environmental impact assessment, and other necessary actions for the development of the wind farm. Also, the winner of the tender will be responsible for the connection to the electricity transmission networks on land and for the imbalance caused by the generated electricity.