The future of ecology in the Baltic Sea: it is not too late to change the situation

The situation in the Baltic Sea, one of the five most polluted seas in the world, has not improved in recent years, but efforts of various public groups, public authorities and businesses can yield results. Curonian Nord offshore wind farm, currently under development by an international green energy company, Ignitis Renewables, can also benefit the Baltic Sea and certainly have a positive impact on the Baltic Sea’s ecosystems in the long term.

A discussion on what actions should be taken by all stakeholders to reverse negative processes in the Baltic Sea was held during a conference called the Future of Ecology in the Baltic Sea, initiated by Ignitis Renewables during a festival, Sveika, Neringa.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, a former European Commissioner and Member of the European Parliament, noted in his presentation that today’s trends in the Baltic Sea raise very serious concerns, and the pollution of this body of water has reached a critical level – around 93% of its territory suffers from eutrophication caused by excess nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus), i.e. changes in the ecosystem.

“The Baltic Sea is like a sink for the whole region. Our fish even test positive for substances from the pharmaceutical sector, even though the fish do not need ibuprofen for headaches! The biggest headache is human activity, the impact of which is further exacerbated by the enclosed nature of the Baltic Sea and climate change,” says V. Sinkevičius.

He claimed, however, that we certainly have ways to change the situation in the Baltic Sea, but this requires coming together and carrying out specific actions.

All measures have already been found

Simonas Gentvilas, Minister of Environment, said at the conference that the society can take measures to help protect the Baltic Sea from pollution, but that means that its various groups would have to make some compromises.

“A large proportion of the urban population has still not reached 100% connection to sewage networks, and the networks do not catch all the pollutants. This means that shampoos, phosphorus, potassium and other pollutants enter rivers through sewage networks and collect in the Curonian Lagoon,” said S. Gentvilas.

It was noted in the conference that the sea that washes the shores of Lithuania will have to undergo a transformation not only because of the need to take care of its cleanliness, but also because this body of water will soon become a very important part of the energy ecosystem.

Darius Maikštėnas, CEO of Ignitis Group, a company developing the first offshore wind farm in the Baltic States, Curonian Nord, said that this project will have to be implemented by ensuring the maximum safety and environmental protection. “We must think of ways to minimise the impact on the environment when constructing and developing the wind farm, including ways to maximise its benefits,” noted D. Maikštėnas.

According to him, the offshore wind energy sector is already mature enough and has decades of development under its belt, with plenty of technologies that deal with various environmental challenges – all you need to do is to invest in these solutions. 

Wind turbines instead of tankers

Minister S. Gentvilas also supported this approach, noting that public fears about the potential environmental impact of the offshore wind farm are understandable, but there are measures to minimise that impact. When it comes to the energy sector, it is necessary to see a broader picture, the assessment of which shows that offshore wind energy projects are inevitable.

“Every year, when we buy gas, oil and electricity, we send EUR 6.5 billion abroad. Statistically, this is EUR 2,000 out of the pocket of each Lithuanian. With the right wind farm design, we have the opportunity to actually improve the situation in the Baltic Sea. So instead of tankers, we need to see wind turbines, which would create associations of a clean sea,” he said.

Vytautas Grubliauskas, the former mayor of Klaipėda, who also attended the conference, recalled that there were discussions about the construction project of the liquefied natural gas terminal too, but today nobody doubts its benefits and importance in terms of energy independence and national security.

Potential benefit for ecosystems

Prof. Artūras Razinkovas-Baziukas from the Marine Research Institute at Klaipėda University, who also made a presentation at the conference, reported that scientists are currently conducting several very large European studies on the Baltic Sea’s environment, which reveal that the situation is not good.

However, the professor noted that there are measures that can contribute to better management of marine resources, the restoration of biodiversity and the improvement of the quality of the environment. The offshore wind energy project may also contribute to this. 

“Offshore energy projects have an impact on ecosystems during the construction of wind turbines. When the wind farm starts operating, it can even bring benefits, especially in the Baltic Sea. For example, mussels have practically disappeared in our waters. We hope that, once wind turbines are built, their foundations could become habitats for mussels,” explained A. Razinkovas-Baziukas. 

The scientist also emphasised that there will be no fishing activities allowed in the territory of the offshore wind farm; the fish will not be disturbed and will have areas for safe spawning, so the currently depleted fish resources will begin to grow again.

Ignitis Renewables is developing the first offshore wind farm in the Baltic States, Curonian Nord. The project, with a capacity of up to 700 megawatts (MW), will generate about 3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of green electricity per year, which would meet about a quarter of Lithuania’s current electricity demand. The wind farm is currently scheduled to start operations around 2030.

You can find more information about the project at curoniannord.com.