Until 2030, a quarter of Lithuania’s electricity consumption should be generated by a wind farm in the Baltic Sea. Scientists are carrying out studies on how the park would affect the environment.
Lithuania’s first offshore wind farm with a capacity of 700 megawatts will be built in Palanga, 30 kilometres off the coast.
“The plan for the area was prepared, and we are waiting for the interim results of the environmental impact assessment, which is also important for wildlife,” Romanas Bykovas, a representative of the Energy Agency, said.
“The geological surveys of the seabed are also carried out. It is important for developers to know what kind of soil the parks will be built on,” he added.
Scientists are also looking into the possible impact of the wind farm on the Baltic Sea biodiversity.
“It includes birds, fish, marine mammals and species that live at the bottom. We look at whether they are valuable or sensitive species, whether they would be harmed and could recover,” said Nerijus Blazauskas, a researcher at the Marine Research Institute.
Meanwhile, wind farm developers stress that such projects benefit local businesses.
“The regulation stipulates the need to involve small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction and management of the project. This is a huge opportunity for businesses operating in the country,” said Matas Anuzis, a project manager at RWE Renewables.
According to a business-science partnership document signed at the Marine Energy Forum “Wind of Change”, Klaipeda’s higher education institutions will also train specialists to work at the future wind farm. (LRT/Business World Magazine)