Europe plans to increase offshore wind capacity from 36.6 GW to 84 GW by 2030, but one of the biggest challenges is insufficient investment in shipbuilding and port infrastructure. Additional investment is needed to install at least 10 GW of new capacity each year – and 15 GW per year after 2030. Over the last three years, 6.7 billion EUR has been invested in ports and specialized ships, but another 6.4 billion EUR is needed. Continue reading “EU prepares new strategy for ports and shipbuilding to support offshore wind targets”
IEA: Rapidly growing demand for electricity is changing the global energy market
IEA: Rapidly growing demand for electricity is changing the global energy market
Global electricity consumption will grow at one of the fastest rates in the last decade by 2026, according to a new forecast by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Demand is being driven by industry, data centers, electric vehicles and climate control systems, and will be met mainly by renewable resources, natural gas and nuclear energy. Continue reading “IEA: Rapidly growing demand for electricity is changing the global energy market”
Europe urgently needs to develop its electricity networks to achieve its renewable energy targets
European electricity demand will increase by 60% by 2030, but insufficient network development is hindering the integration of wind and other renewable resources. The European Commission’s new EU budget for 2028-2034 allocates 67 billion EUR from the European Competitiveness Fund and around 30 billion EUR from the Connecting Europe Facility for network modernization. The European Grids Package, expected in the fall, will include measures for faster permitting, smarter network planning, financing solutions, and wider use of flexibility technologies – storage, demand management, and hybrid projects.
Source: WindEurope, 30.07.2025.
Coastal wind and marine spatial planning
Popular science article published on coastal wind and marine spatial planning
As part of the project “Life-cycle of an offshore wind farm in the legal framework: the case of Latvia” a popular science article entitled “Offshore wind projects and maritime spatial planning: the voice of the public in the early stages” was published, providing the public with an easily understandable overview of the achievements on the platform pretvejs.lv, which is intended for a wide audience. Continue reading “Coastal wind and marine spatial planning”
Estonia suspends licensing process for Saare 7 offshore wind farm
The Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) has announced that the licensing process for the Saare 7 offshore wind farm in the Western Baltic Sea near Saaremaa Island has been suspended. The decision was made after an auction held on June 10-12, 2025, in which neither of the two bidders, Sunly Wind OÜ and Utilitas Wind OÜ, met the qualification requirements. Continue reading “Estonia suspends licensing process for Saare 7 offshore wind farm”
Lithuanian Seimas adopts legislative package promoting the development of renewable energy resources
On June 25, 2025, the Seimas adopted a package of five laws, making Lithuania one of the first EU countries to transpose the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) in order to accelerate the development of renewable energy, simplify regulations, and reduce the administrative burden. This RED III transposition package sets out clearer and more favorable development conditions for renewable energy projects, including offshore wind farms, their connections, and energy storage, and grants them special public interest status. The state will establish fast-track areas for renewable energy development (renewables acceleration areas) with mapping by February 21, 2026, and the permit granting process for offshore projects must not exceed 36 months. This will facilitate the coordination of grid connections and construction (the requirements of the Electricity and Construction Laws have been harmonized so that in many cases a technical proposal and working design are sufficient), allowing offshore wind projects to move forward more quickly and add energy storage to them.
Source: Energetikos ministerija (Republic of Lithunia), 25.06.2025.
Commentary on Wind Power
Legal fragmentation hinders the pace of the ELWIND project in Latvia
ELWIND – the joint Latvian-Estonian OWF project – is one of the most ambitious regional energy projects in the Baltic Sea. However, its development in Latvia is hampered by legal inconsistencies. The project is based on a regulation that was originally developed for offshore mineral extraction, not for offshore wind. This means that those involved in the project have to interpret and apply rules that are not fully consistent with the specifics of offshore wind – for example, on the lease of sea areas, the initiation of environmental impact assessment procedures and connection conditions. Such an approach increases legal uncertainty and creates a risk of delays. In turn, Estonia already has a “building rights license” (superficies licence) system in place, which combines several permits and ensures a predictable process. This asymmetry makes it difficult to synchronize ELWIND between the two countries, as the project cannot move at the same speed if the procedures are fundamentally different. Moreover, without a clear law in Latvia, investor confidence and the attraction of EU funding, which rely on clear permit mechanisms and legal coherence at the cross-border level, are also at risk.
First turbine installed at Baltic Power offshore wind farm in Poland
The ORLEN Group, in cooperation with Northland Power, has begun installing Europe’s largest offshore wind turbines in Polish waters in the Baltic Sea. The first of 76 turbines with a capacity of 15 MW has already been installed, marking a new phase in Poland’s energy transition. The Baltic Power project will be able to meet up to 3% of the country’s electricity demand when it becomes operational in 2026. Continue reading “First turbine installed at Baltic Power offshore wind farm in Poland”
Latvia prepares amendments to the Maritime Spatial Plan: coastal wind and multifunctional use of the sea
Latvia is preparing amendments to its Maritime Spatial Plan, in which one of the main topics is offshore wind energy. The amendments emphasize the possibility of multifunctional use of the sea, allowing several economic activities to be combined in one area, such as offshore wind farms and aquaculture.
It is planned to assess the interaction between the sea and the coast, spatially define blue-green infrastructure elements, and map ecosystem services.
Data collection and preparation of an environmental review are planned for 2025.
Source: Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (Republic of Latvia), 18.06.2025.
Energy Union Task Force established
Energy Union Task Force established, Latvia involved in joint EU energy cooperation
The European Commission and the Polish Presidency have established a new Energy Union Task Force to strengthen cooperation between EU Member States on energy policy. The Task Force will focus on interconnection development, network planning coordination and monitoring of actions related to the Action Plan for Affordable Energy. Latvia is mentioned as one of the countries involved. The next meeting of the Task Force is scheduled for September.
Source: European Commission