Gulf of Riga offshore wind farm design work to be completed by end of year
Last month, Enefit, a subsidiary of the Estonian state-owned energy group Eesti Energia, signed an agreement for the drawing up of the conceptual engineering design of an offshore wind farm located in the Gulf of Riga. The design project is co-financed by the EU.
"Increasing renewable energy production is critical for the environment, consumers and national security," Enefit board member Margus Vals said according to a press release, noting that the need for renewable energy is currently great throughout Europe.
"The Gulf of Riga offshore wind farm will play a key role in Estonia's energy supply and aligns with the government's green transition goals," he continued. "Upon successful completion of the planning phase, the wind farm could start production as early as 2028, and cover half of Estonia's energy consumption needs. This is an effective and realistic project to produce affordable and environmentally friendly electricity on a large scale in Estonia as well as increase energy security for the whole region."
Preliminary work for the construction of the planned offshore wind farm is actively ongoing, the company said. Research for the environmental impact assessment began this spring and is planned to take two years to complete. Last month, Enefit also signed an agreement for the drawing up of the wind farm's conceptual engineering design, which is slated to be completed by the end of the year.
The design will be drawn up by international engineering and consulting company BLIX Consultancy, which will analyze alternative wind turbine options as well as foundations, substation and onshore solutions for the wind farm. The design will also provide technical solutions as input to the ongoing environmental impact assessment.
"The design will not provide final and definitive answers, but rather propose solutions that are both technically and environmentally sound," Vals explained. "This information is important for us as developer, the authorities as well as partners."
The conceptual engineering design was commissioned via a public procurement announced in June; the project is being co-financed by the EU's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
With a planned production capacity of 1 gigawatt and estimated annual production of 4.5 terawatt-hours, Enefit's offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga is slated to be built approximately 11 kilometers off the shore of the Estonian island of Kihnu.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
