Different scales of maritime spatial planning affect the accuracy of offshore wind planning
The scale and level of detail of maritime spatial planning (MSP) documents significantly affect the ability to identify suitable areas for offshore wind projects. Poland has started to develop detailed maritime plans at a scale of 1:25,000, which allows for the integration of data on environmental protection, shipping routes, military zones and fisheries, thus reducing the risk of conflicts of interest. Lithuania (1:100,000) and Latvia, on the other hand, continue to use a relatively coarse scale (1:250,000), which is unable to offer sufficient precision to support the granting of exploration licenses for specific offshore wind projects. Without a detailed MSP, it becomes more difficult to determine whether the selected area is indeed suitable for offshore wind development and whether it will not create irresolvable conflicts with other interests. Furthermore, the Baltic States lack mechanisms to flexibly update these plans in line with new data or industry initiatives. This makes the planning process static and may become an obstacle to investment in the long term. To achieve EU goals, MSP systems need to be made more dynamic and better linked to the timeline of offshore wind projects.