Estonia grants key licence for offshore wind
The Estonian government has granted a key licence to Saare Wind Energy, paving the way towards a building permit for the country's first offshore wind farm.
Saare Wind Energy is planning to build a wind farm with a capacity of up to 1.4GW off the island of Saaremaa.
The superficies licence from the government gives the company the right to occupy and use the seabed for the construction of the wind farm and its associated infrastructure.
The licence is an important milestone in the development process but Saare Wind Energy must still apply for and receive a construction permit before building work can begin.
“This is the first building permit in the history of Estonian offshore wind farms – it is an important step towards the production of clean energy,” said Jaanus Uiga, Deputy Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Climate Change.
The offshore wind farm will consist of up to 100 wind turbines, located at least 11km from the west coast of Saaremaa, and could start producing electricity in the early 2030s.
The superficies licence, which is valid for 50 years, gives Saare Wind Energy the right to occupy and use a defined area of Estonia’s maritime territory, including the seabed, for the development of the project.
As a next step, the company will be able to apply for a construction permit from the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority and an environmental permit for the special use of water from the Environmental Board.
Saare Wind Energy must apply for a construction permit within two years of the issuance of the superficies licence, the validity period of which is generally five years, and finally also a permit for use.
In addition to the Saare Wind Energy plan, the government has initiated proceedings for building permits for 11 other offshore wind farms.
Source: renews
