Lithuanians Looking For Offshore Wind Partners

Lithuania’s state-owned energy company Lietuvos Energija is seeking strategic partners to jointly develop offshore energy projects internationally and domestically.

The company has issued a call for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) to find an experienced partner and jointly develop offshore wind projects within the European Economic Area. The decision on potential partners is expected by the end of the year.

Lietuvos Energija plans to install up to 3GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, the majority of which will come from wind, Dominykas Tuckus, the company’s Director of Infrastructure and Development, said.

The company is seeking a partner with ”a proven track record”  in offshore wind to bring ”best-practises and expertise in building offshore wind projects,” Tuckus said.

If the EoI results in a successful partnership, Lietuvos Energija will initially aim to gain relevant experience by acquiring a minority stake in an offshore wind project in later stages of development.

The second phase of the partnership would involve the development of offshore wind projects within Lithuania’s Baltic Sea. This second phase is provisional on the Lithuanian government carrying out the necessary preparatory works and issuing offshore wind tenders.

According to Tuckus, offshore wind is part of Lithuania’s National Energy Independence Strategy. The company intends to gain the necessary experience through this partnership in order to be prepared for the development of offshore wind farms in Lithuanian waters.

The evaluation of offshore wind energy potential showed that 18% of the Lithuanian economic zone with water depths of up to 50 meters would be suitable for offshore wind development. The six defined offshore wind zones could support 7.2GW of installed capacity.

According to the Baltic Sea Wind map, the average wind speed at heights of 100 meters in Lithuanian waters is 8.5 to 9.5 m/s.

The wind availability in these areas is over 45%. In the winter season, the offshore wind energy availability reaches 50%.