RASK consults entrepreneurs in proceedings for construction of offshore wind farm in Gulf of Riga.

Case

RASK is consulting local entrepreneurs in connection with the construction of the largest offshore wind farm in Estonia, which is currently in the planning phase. In particular, RASK is advising the companies on matters related to the building permit and environmental impact assessment procedure.

In 2019, the Estonian government approved the initiation of the building permit procedure and the environmental impact assessment for the construction of three offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Riga. The planned offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga is currently the only one in Estonia that is located in an area with a valid maritime spatial plan. According to RASK, it is crucial that the final decision takes into account the different uses of the maritime area. More specifically, the state must assess and consider the combined effects of possible development activities in the Gulf of Riga on currently conflicting sectors, including the general environmental impact.

The developer of the offshore wind farm, the largest in Estonia, is Eesti Energia; the wind farm will cover an area of almost 183 square kilometres according to the spatial plan for the maritime area of Pärnu. The planned location of the offshore wind farm is 10 kilometres from the island of Kihnu in the Gulf of Riga, and the facility is expected to cover almost half of Estonia’s energy needs. Eesti Energia is planning to install up to 160 wind turbines with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts in the wind farm.