Ignitis to conduct EIA for 700-MW Baltic Sea wind project

The green energy arm of Lithuanian utility Ignitis Group (VSE:IGN1L) will probe the conditions for building a 700-MW offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, some 60 km (37.3 mi) away from Lithuania’s Port of Klaipeda.

Ignitis Renewables has prepared an environmental impact assessment (EIA) programme for the project, it said recently, adding that it will take “all appropriate measures to minimise the environmental impact” of the proposal. Where not possible, the company will implement “compensatory measures to improve the state of the environment,” according to the statement.

Under the plan, Ignitis Renewables will install offshore wind turbines within a 120-sq-km area located 36 km off the coastline, at a depth of between 28 metres and 48 metres. The site will host up to 55 machines with a maximum tip height of 350 metres.

The EIA programme will assess the land surface of the selected site, as well as air, water, landscape, and biodiversity factors. A special focus will be put on the protection of the natural habitat. The initiative will result in a report that will be compiled by the Coastal Research and Planning Institute and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency. The latter is expected to issue a decision by end-2025.

The offshore park could become operational around 2030. Its annual output is anticipated to be some 3 TWh.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!