Lack of Interest Sees Lithuanian Wind Farm Tender Cancelled

The second call for bids on a Lithuanian offshore wind farm was abandoned due to insufficient interest from developers. The National Energy Regulatory Council of Lithuania waited for proposals until April 14 following an announcement in January. 

The auction required at least two participants for it to proceed, but only the state-owned Ignis Group expressed interest in developing the 700MW wind farm.

Despite completing preparatory measures including environmental impact assessments and seabed studies, and having national support, the tender failed to draw sufficient developer interest.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy plans to consult with industry stakeholders to determine a new date for the tender and make it more appealing.

“The second 700 MW offshore wind farm is a project of strategic importance and absolutely necessary for Lithuania’s energy independence; therefore, after consultations with market players, the tender will be relaunched as soon as possible. During these consultations we need to find out what specific conditions would maximise the attractiveness of the project and increase its resilience to market fluctuations,” said Daniel Kreivys, the Lithuanian Energy Minister.

The first tender for a 700 MW offshore wind farm took place last March and attracted two bids. The winning partnership between Ignitis Group and Ocean Winds was announced in July 2023.

This project faced challenges as Ocean Winds considered withdrawing. However, they eventually established a joint venture with Ignitis Group to move forward with the development.

Lithuania aims to build two offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 1.4GW, which would supply half of the country’s current electricity needs. By 2030, Lithuania seeks to fulfill all its electricity requirements from local renewable sources, which currently meet about 40% of its total demand.