The Dutch company, Ventolines, has won a public tender to consult the team behind the Estonian-Latvian cross-border offshore wind project, ELWIND, in executing the next practical steps in de-risking the offshore areas.
By winning the tender and signing the agreement, Ventolines took the position of technical consultant for the 1 GW ELWIND offshore wind project. The total amount of the contract is EUR 300,000, excluding VAT.
According to the agreement, the main responsibility of the Dutch company will be to help the ELWIND team prepare the technical and environmental studies that form a major part of the predevelopment activities Estonia and Latvia are committed to, according to ELWIND.
“For the needs of Elwind, the company will provide support in the preparation of procurement documentation for the environmental impact studies,” said Jānis Ločmelis , head of the Elwind project department of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency.
As part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA), the impact of the wind project on nature, animals, and socio-economic impact, including shipping lanes, will be analysed. Technical studies will also be carried out.
Research is expected to start this year and is planned to last until 2026.
According to the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, special attention will be devoted to determining the wind farm’s potential impact on the national defense capabilities and taking the necessary compensation measures in case the impact is detected.
ELWIND is an Estonian-Latvian cross-border offshore wind project for which the countries started discussions in December 2019.
The governments of Latvia and Estonia already selected the locations in their respective parts of the Baltic Sea where their joint project will be built.
In November 2023, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers determined that the planned target capacity of the offshore wind farm on the Latvian side of the ELWIND project will be up to 1,000 MW.
The tender for the rights to develop the project is scheduled to be held in 2026. ELWIND is expected to enter the construction phase in 2028 and be commissioned by 2030 at the earliest.