Invitation to participate in a public consultation on the alternatives selected for the environmental impact assessment of wind turbines to be built in the Lithuanian maritime territory

The Ministry of Energy has entered into an agreement with VšĮ Pajūrio Tyrimų ir Planavimo Institutas on the performance of the environmental impact assessment of the wind turbines to be built in the Lithuanian maritime territory.

The results of the environmental impact assessment are required to prepare for tenders for permits to use the Lithuanian maritime territory for the development and support of wind turbines. It should be recalled that a resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania was passed on 22 June 2020, which determined the part of the Lithuanian maritime territory that is expedient to hold a tender for the development and operation of wind turbines of up to 700 MW. The first tender is scheduled for the end of 2023, after completing all the necessary actions and studies, namely the preparation of a special plan for the Lithuanian marine territory for the development of renewable resources, the environmental impact assessment of wind turbines, measurements of wind speed and other parameters, and seabed surveys. 

In order not to limit the optimal installation of the wind farms in the area approved by the Government Resolution, the Environmental Impact Assessment Programme stipulates that the wind turbine model, location of wind turbines and the number of wind turbines will be specified after detailed wind speed measurements, to be completed in 2022–2023.

In order to reduce the risks for future tenderers regarding the parameters of wind turbines to be assessed, the Ministry of Energy invites wind turbine producers, offshore wind farms project developers and all interested parties to submit proposals and comments on wind turbine alternatives selected for the environmental impact assessment. The proposals will help assess the needs and expectations of stakeholders in relation to the environmental impact assessment of offshore wind turbines.

The EIA programme provides information on reasonable alternatives to be considered (e.g. location, timing, technical and technological solutions, measures mitigating environmental impact), including the “zero” alternative, i.e. no activity.

The “zero” alternative, i.e., no activity reflects the current situation and the state of the environment when the project is not implemented. In this case, any changes in the state of the environment of the Baltic Sea area belonging to Lithuania would not be related to the development of wind turbines in the Lithuanian maritime territory.

As a project implementation alternative, an offshore wind farm with an installed capacity of about 700 MW will be installed and operated in the territory approved by the Government Resolution.

Taking into account the submitted terms of reference for the installation of the wind farm formed by the Ministry of Energy, offshore wind turbine models currently on the market from 8 MW to 16 MW are to be considered in the initial assessment phase, while wind turbines with a capacity of up to 20 MW or more can be expected during the implementation of this offshore wind farm project. The height of an offshore wind turbine of this capacity can range from 140 m to 300 m (but not limited to), and depending on the model capacity, the number of such turbines in the designated area can tentatively range from 87 to 43 (but not limited to).

Based on the following parameters listed in the terms of reference, the following alternatives have been developed:

Height limits may be set for wind turbines in an area between 29.5 and 32 km offshore.
In the formation of wind farm alternatives, the layout of the turbines within the area for the planned economic activities was based on the principle of geometric layout adopted in the report on the assessment of the strategic environmental impact of the solutions provisioned in the engineering infrastructure development plan for the territorial sea of the Republic of Lithuania and/or the territory of the EEZ of the Republic of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea for the development of renewable energy, accepting the diameter of a wind turbine (D) as a reference criterion: 
-    wind direction 10xD; 
-    perpendicular to the wind direction 5xD.

Waiting for proposals and comments on alternatives by 05 July 2022 via email [email protected]

Last updated: 28-06-2022

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