Ignitis Renewables presented opportunities related to the offshore wind farm to Lithuanian shipowners

An offshore wind farm project, Curonian Nord, under development by the international green energy company, Ignitis Renewables, is creating an environment for prosperous businesses. During a meeting with shipowners in Klaipėda, representatives of the company discussed the opportunities the first offshore wind farm project in the country offers to Lithuanian maritime transport companies.

“Lithuania aims to become the first Baltic country to have an operating offshore wind farm. However, the success of this historic energy project depends on a large number of stakeholders – we strive to ensure that each of them find opportunities to engage in the green transition and contribute to the changes,” says Eglė Mikalauskienė, Offshore Port Operations Commercial Manager at Ignitis Renewables.

During a meeting with members of the Lithuanian Shipowners’ Association and representatives of other maritime organisations, Ignitis Renewables presented the requirements for special purpose ships, which would carry out tasks related to the construction and service of the offshore wind farm from the beginning of the construction period, until the start of the operation and maintenance of the wind farm.

The meeting was attended by Towmar Baltic, Limarko Group, OJ Crew, Klasco, Boskalis and Sima Baltic, also by representatives of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority and other organisations. The meeting participants agreed to share information about upcoming tenders for commercial suppliers and other related and relevant information.

According to E. Mikalauskienė, regular information to shipowners will help them understand what changes should be made so their ships and crews could participate in the projects related to developing, and later operating and maintaining the wind farm. It was noted that the project could help expand the range of services provided by special purpose ships.

Stressing the importance of cooperation 

During the meeting, the speakers reiterated several times that the green objective of Ignitis Renewables is to target net zero emissions by 2040–2050. Therefore, the renewable energy company encourages local shipowners to consider a possibility and invest in green vehicles and technologies. Members of the Lithuanian Shipowners’ Association agreed that investments would allow for upgrading and being technologically ready to participate in the commercial supply chain tenders. At the same time, the participants of the meeting acknowledged that creating an environmentally neutral supply chain today seems a big challenge.

“It is clear that the development of the offshore wind farm requires as much cooperation as possible by sharing knowledge, experience and technologies. Shared knowledge opens up opportunities for improvement: it allows us to bring together the workforce and equipment capacities to create high added value and can ensure the long-term competitiveness and development of the wind farm,” commented Gintautas Kutka, Executive Director at the Lithuanian Shipowners’ Association.

According to G. Kutka, the involvement of potential project partners can ensure that the economic benefits generated by offshore wind projects stay in the region and give impetus to the growth of a new shipping segment – a special purpose fleet and local related industries. 

Meanwhile, the Ignitis Renewables representative emphasised that cooperation with local businesses is equally important as they would supply components and provide services, thus strengthening the resilience of the supply chain. “Events in recent years have taught us the importance of reducing the dependence on international sources and being able to protect ourselves from the impact of disruptions in global supply chains and logistics systems,” said Eglė Mikalauskienė, adding that local services can reduce transport costs while also contributing to a lower carbon footprint.

Five active years ahead

The 700-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm, currently under development in the Baltic Sea, is expected to generate about 3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of green electricity per year. This would meet up to a quarter of Lithuania’s current electricity demand.

Curonian Nord offshore wind farm will significantly increase the local electricity generation from renewable energy sources, eliminate dependence on electricity imports and facilitate the transformation of the region into a sustainable green energy hub.

The wind farm should cover about 120 square kilometres of the territory in the Baltic Sea. It will be at least 37 km away from the Lithuanian coast and about 50 km away from the port of Klaipėda. The offshore wind farm is currently scheduled to start operations around 2030.

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