The governments of Tallinn and Riga have selected the locations in their respective parts of the Baltic Sea where their joint offshore green energy project ELWIND will be built. On the Estonian part, the marine area to the west of the peninsula of Sorve of Saaremaa Island has been recognized as the most suitable location for implementing the joint project. This means that Latvia can start work on the environmental impact assessment in the coastal area of Kurzeme between Pāvilosta and Užava, where a wind farm is planned to be built approximately 15 to 20 km from the coastline in the sea.

ELWIND has been listed on the first list of renewable energy cross-border (CB RES) projects under the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which enables to apply up to 50% funding for studies helping to keep impact to the end consumers at a reasonable level.

The time plan for the Elwind project foresees that environmental impact assessments and all necessary construction permits will be arranged by 2025, but in 2026 it is planned to organize auctions for merchants who want to get involved in the implementation of the project. The deadline for completion of the project is planned for 2030.

A wind farm of this scale, with a total capacity between 700 and 1000 MW, can be a significant promoter of the region’s development. The average operating time of one wind farm is approximately 25 to 30 years, which will provide residents with additional jobs in the maintenance of wind farms, provide greater available electricity capacity, and contribute to the development of port potential. It will also provide additional opportunities for business development.

More information on the Latvian and Estonian offshore wind farm projects is available on the ELWIND website https://elwindoffshore.eu/lv/.