Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Agency (TTJA) has initiated the building permit procedure and EIA for Estonian-Latvian joint offshore wind farm project ELWIND, submitted by the Foundation Environmental Investment Center (KIK).
After the building permit is issued, the state expects to organize an auction or selective tender for the project, where bidders will have the opportunity to acquire the permit.
The project, a cooperation project between Estonia and Latvia, is owned by the Climate Ministry and managed by KIK. According to the application, the project’s total capacity limit is 1 GW and would be located on the west coast of the Sõrve peninsula.
“Following the initiation of the building permit procedure and environmental impact assessment, the KIK can begin preparing an environmental impact assessment program,” says Kristi Talving, TTJA general director.
“Among other things, the program presents a description of the evaluation methodology used in environmental impact assessment, including information about the studies necessary for environmental impact assessment. KIK must submit an environmental impact assessment program to TTJA within 18 months and an environmental impact assessment report within 24 months after the decision to recognize the environmental impact assessment program as meeting the requirements. After the report is recognized as meeting the requirements, it will be possible to issue a building permit and organize an auction for the development of the offshore wind farm.”
EU funding is partially covering the cost of the project’s EIA.
