The Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) has initiated a building permit procedure and environmental impact assessment for two offshore wind farms more than 30 km west of Saaremaa Island. The project developer, Norwegian company Deep Wind Offshore AS, won the Saare 2.1 and Saare 2.2 offshore auctions in June.

According to the submitted applications, up to 104 turbines with a total capacity of up to 1,560 MW and up to four substations are planned in the Saare 2.1 area (163.8 km²), while in the Saare 2.2 area (88.5 km²), up to 56 turbines with a capacity of up to 840 MW and up to two substations are planned. Both areas are located in Estonia’s maritime spatial plan as suitable for offshore wind development. Continue reading “Norway’s Deep Wind Offshore launches offshore wind project near Saaremaa Island”

The Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) has launched a procedure for granting a building permit and assessing the environmental impact of the offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga, south of Kihnu Island, as applied for by Liivi Offshore OÜ.

The project envisages up to 140 turbines, which can reach a height of 300 meters above sea level, with a capacity of up to 20 MW each. The total potential capacity in both areas (zones 1 and 2) could reach up to 2010 MW, while the planned project area covers a total of 168 km². The decision provides for the applications for both areas to be combined into a single procedure.

Liivi Offshore OÜ must then develop an environmental impact assessment program within 18 months and submit an environmental impact assessment report within 24 months of its approval. Only after the report has been approved will the company be able to obtain a building permit, continue with the design and apply for a construction permit.

Source: Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), 09.09.2024.

On May 28, 2024, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) adopted amendments introducing an innovative offshore wind project “building rights license” (superficies licence) system, which combines a building permit, water use permit and land use rights in a single document. This significantly simplifies procedures and reduces litigation risks. The license is granted by the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), which effectively acts as a single point of contact for offshore wind projects.

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Source: Ministry of Climate (Republic of Estonia), 29.05.2024.

Slow progress on offshore wind farm projects contributes to information vacuum

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The development of offshore wind farms differs from other types of renewable energy resources in its long-term and complex planning cycle. It often takes 7-10 years from the initial identification of a site to commercial operation, during which time there is little public information about progress. This creates a perception among the public and sometimes industry representatives that projects are not moving forward, and encourages speculation, misunderstanding, or even rumours. Media interest in this process wanes between visible activities (such as auctions or the issuance of permits). As a result, the offshore wind energy sector faces a communication deficit, which can also affect public support. Industry representatives and public authorities need to find new ways of communicating, such as regular progress reports or public data platforms. This would help to build trust and prevent misinformation or obstacles to public participation in a timely manner.

On 12 October 2023, the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) officially announced that a consortium consisting of Ignitis Renewables and Ocean Winds had won the first 700 MW offshore wind auction.
The project will be developed in the Baltic Sea, approximately 30 km from the coast, and aims to start generating electricity by 2030. This is the first commercial offshore wind project in the Baltic States to move from the planning to the implementation phase. Lithuania plans to reach a total offshore wind capacity of 4.5 GW by 2050.

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Source: OffshoreWIND.biz, 12.10.2023.

By September 2024, six offshore wind auctions had been held in Estonia. Ignitis Renewables won the first two – Liivi 2 (114.9 km², 1,400 MW) and Liivi 1 (77.7 km², 900 MW). The Saare 2.1 (163.8 km², 1,560 MW) and Saare 2.2 (88.5 km², 840 MW) auctions were won by the Norwegian company Deep Wind Offshore.

Two auctions – Saare 1 (88 km²) and Saare 3 (20.1 km²) – ended unsuccessfully as no bids were submitted. This is explained by unclear support mechanisms and low commercial attractiveness.
In total, the four projects awarded represent more than 4.7 GW of potential capacity, marking a significant step forward in the development of offshore wind in Estonia, but the failures confirm that both regulatory clarity and economic viability are critical for investors.

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Source: Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), compiled information

Differences in the transposition of renewables acceleration areas in the Baltic States create unequal conditions

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The Baltic States demonstrate significant differences in the implementation of the RED III, particularly with regard to the definition of areas for renewables acceleration areas and the establishment of a single contact point. Estonia has already introduced a digital licensing model and operates a single “building rights license” (superficies licence) mechanism that integrates several permit procedures into a single stage. In Latvia and Lithuania, however, such mechanisms have not yet been fully defined or implemented. These structural differences affect the investment climate and legal certainty. Developers operating in several countries have to adapt to very different requirements, which increases costs, the need for legal advice, and delays the start of projects. Furthermore, this fragmentation runs counter to the objective of RED III to harmonize procedures and promote the development of cross-border projects. The quality of transposition thus becomes a factor in regional competitiveness.

Latvia’s maritime spatial planning document for 2030 defines five priority research areas for offshore wind farms covering 1,648.76 km² (~6% of the country’s maritime territory). However, these areas have not been officially granted the status of renewables acceleration areas, as required by the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). As a result, developers have access to geospatial areas. Still, these do not yet provide for accelerated permit procedures or environmental impact assessment facilitations, as required for in RED III within the framework of renewables acceleration areas.

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See Maritime Spatial Plan 2030; Interim Assessment of the Maritime Spatial Plan 2030 2019-2030)

Implementation of a new project entitled “The Life Cycle of Offshore Wind Farms in Legal Regulation: The Case of Latvia” has begun

The Institute of Legal Sciences at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia has launched the project “Life-cycle of an offshore wind farm in the legal framework: the case of Latvia” (No. LU-BA-ZG-2024/1-0024). Continue reading “NEW PROJECT STARTED”