Estonia Approves First Offshore Wind Farm Building Permit

Estonia has taken a significant step towards clean energy production by granting the first building permit for an offshore wind farm. The permit was awarded to Saare Wind Energy for a project located west of the coast of the island of Saaremaa in the Estonian part of the Baltic Sea.

The planned offshore wind farm is set to feature up to 100 wind turbines with a capacity to generate 1.4 GW of electricity. The project aims to be operational in the early 2030s and will include the construction of a transmission system connecting to the Estonian onshore grid.

Jaanus Uiga, Undersecretary for Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Climate, emphasized the importance of the Saaremaa project in advancing Estonia’s renewable energy goals.

Next Steps and Future Plans

The building permit granted to Saare Wind Energy is valid for 50 years and allows the developer to move forward with obtaining additional approvals, including a building permit from the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (CPTRA) and an environmental permit for special water use from the Environmental Board.

Although the project has secured a building permit, it does not guarantee state support. The Ministry of Climate has initiated building permit procedures for 11 more offshore wind farms proposed by various developers.

Expanding Offshore Wind Energy

In addition to the Saaremaa project, Estonia is expediting auctions and licensing for newly designated offshore wind areas, such as the Saare 7 site located west of Saaremaa. CPTRA announced that an auction for this area will take place in mid-June.

Estonia is part of a cross-border cooperation with seven other Baltic Sea States to enhance offshore wind energy deployment by improving regional grid infrastructure. The Baltic Offshore Grid Initiative (BOGI) recently published a joint roadmap for collaboration in offshore wind energy and grid interconnections.

Regional Cooperation and Potential

The Baltic Sea region has significant offshore energy generation potential, with approximately 93 GW of capacity. Despite this, only a fraction of the capacity is currently installed. The Vilnius Declaration signed in April 2024 by Baltic Sea States highlights the commitment to explore regional cooperation for tapping into the vast offshore energy resources.

Transmission system operators from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden are working together under the BOGI initiative to develop a Baltic Sea Grid Map and facilitate cross-border electricity interconnections.