Developers are set to receive financial support based on conditions established eight years ago by grid distributor Elering which are significantly more favorable than current terms, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

For electricity consumers, this spells millions of euros in additional costs annually, however.

A decade ago, plans were laid out to install 30 wind turbines at Aidu, Luganuse Rural Municipality, with a total capacity of 100 MW.

At present, 17 turbines with a combined capacity of 75MW are operational. Developers say they intend to install the remaining 13 turbines in the near future.

Oleg Sõnajalg, one of the two businessmen brothers behind the wind farm project, said: "On this, that the wind park will be fully completed, is without a doubt and I think that this will happen within the next two to three years."

The Elering decision three years ago provided the confidence for the continuation of this long-delayed project, which foundered partly on security concerns from the defense ministry, that the turbines would interfere with the operation of its radar, as well as on planning concerns.

The Elering decision found that the wind park, located as it is on a former oil shale mining site, will continue to receive support under a favorable renewable energy support scheme which had been in effect until 2016.

This should still be in effect retroactively, the developer added.

Sõnajalg attested: "Given Elering's decision, we are certain that the rest of the project will qualify for the old support scheme, as everything began well before the end of 2016."

Construction of the wind park was halted for six years, until last autumn, due to a legal dispute between the developers and the state over whether the first two Eleon-made turbines had been lawfully erected at Aidu Park.

River Tomera, head of renewable energy development at Elering, said: "The support payments are entirely separate from the legal dispute, which primarily involved the Ministry of Defense and the technical regulatory authority, as the support is paid based solely on whether the project was operational in 2016 or not."

"The fact that the project was paused for a while has no effect on that support," Tomera went on.

A total of €103 million has been invested in the construction of Aidu wind park.

By Elering's calculations, the project could receive up to €60 million in support over the next 12 years; the developers will naturally be earn revenues from the sale of electricity.

The Aidu wind park (Aidu tuulepark) was opened amid great fanfare at a ceremony earlier this week, attended by the defense minister, among others.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!