Wind speed measurements performed over the period of five months show that Lithuania has sufficient offshore wind energy resources. The average wind speed at an altitude of 100–250 m is between 8.1 and 8.9 m/s. The highest wind speeds were observed in October–November (average 10 m/s), while the maximum wind speed reached over the whole period was 22.8 m/s. These indicators confirm the wind speeds previously modelled for the assessment of wind potential in the Baltic Sea.
As of 19 July 2022, measurements of hydrometeorological parameters in the territory of the first offshore wind park in the Baltic Sea will be carried out by the Spanish company “EOLOS Floating Lidar Solutions SL”, which has won the Lithuanian Energy Agency’s international public tender.
Two buoys (E01 and E06) with the EOLOS FLS200 measuring equipment were moored at two predefined locations.
Wind speed and wind direction will be measured at different altitudes over the course of a year, as well as atmospheric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, wave height, strength and direction of currents, and water level. This data will help the potential developers of the first park to select wind turbine models, model their layout, estimate the park’s production capacity and lifetime.
Based on wind speed measurements performed over the period of five months, Lithuania has sufficient offshore wind energy resources. The average wind speed at an altitude of 100–250 m is between 8.1 and 8.9 m/s. The highest wind speeds were observed in October–November (average 10 m/s), while the maximum wind speed reached over the whole period was 22.8 m/s. These values confirm the wind speeds previously modelled for the assessment of wind potential in the Baltic Sea.
Higher offshore wind speeds have a direct impact on electricity production and the choice of more powerful turbine models. Based on the available data, the prevailing wind direction in the area of the first offshore wind park was also assessed, which is important for the selection of the orientation of the wind turbines. Westerly and south-westerly winds were found to be more common.
Location of E01 and E06 buoys of EOLOS FLS200 measuring equipment in the Baltic Sea
Interim hydrometeorological measurements are now openly available in the Developers section of the website.The interim data published are provisional and will be revised as the measurements continue.
The results of the measurements are crucial for the preparation of the tender for the development and operation of the first wind park in Lithuania’s maritime territory, which is scheduled to be launched in September 2023. The final annual data is expected to be processed and reported by early August 2023.
700 MW power plant park in the Baltic Sea could produce up to 3 TWh of green electricity per year, which would provide up to a quarter of Lithuania’s electricity needs and reduce the country’s dependence on electricity imports. The area of the first offshore wind park in the Baltic Sea is 137.5 km2 and the distance to the Port of Klaipėda is about 38 kilometres.
