In order to implement the project of the most developed offshore wind farm in the neighbouring region, leading Estonian consulting company Skepast&Puhkim will carry out an environmental impact assessment of Eesti Energia’s Liivi offshore wind farm project in the Gulf of Riga.
Margus Vals, Member of the Management Board of Eesti Energia, emphasised that when completed, the offshore wind farm would generate 4 terawatts-hour (TWh) of green energy per year, covering up to half of Estonia’s annual energy consumption. This will significantly lower the average annual electricity price and accelerate Estonia’s transition to other innovative technologies and energy storage options, such as hydrogen. In developing the Liivi project, Eesti Energia has set a goal that the offshore wind farm be completed before 2030.
“Estonia and the Baltics urgently need new renewable energy production capacities in order to alleviate the electricity deficit and fully switch to renewable electricity faster,” said Mr Vals. “The advantage of an offshore wind farm is a large production volume and better wind conditions. The environmental impact assessment provides answers as to whether and how to implement this much-needed investment in a cleaner future in the way that has the least impact on the living environment.”
The environmental impact assessment will include environmental studies to assess the potential significant environmental effects and cumulative effects of the proposed activity and will set out the measures to prevent and mitigate the significant negative environmental effects associated with the construction of the wind farm.
“Internationally, offshore wind farms have been established for decades and we are fully committed to applying this experience in assessing the environmental impact of Estonia’s first offshore wind farm,” added Hendrik Puhkim, Member of the Management Board of Skepast&Puhkim.
