'Baltic leader': Orsted and Enefit link for huge cross-border offshore wind array

Sector giant Orsted will link with local utility Enefit in a bid to deliver a large-scale offshore wind farm connecting Estonia and Latvia.

The two partners said together they aim to become the “leading offshore wind developer in the Baltic countries” and build the first Gulf of Riga project by the end of the decade with a capacity of 1-2GW.

“Subject to a supportive regulatory framework for offshore wind being in place, it is Orsted and Enefit’s ambition to deliver this before 2030,” said a statement announcing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Danish giant and Enefit, the renewables brand of Estonian utility Eesti Energia.

The two plan to establish a joint venture that aims to advance the Liivi offshore wind project in Estonian waters, which Enefit indicated could be up to 2GW, and apply to develop an adjacent site in the Latvian area of the Gulf of Riga, “to pursue a cross-border hybrid solution, which will connect an offshore wind farm to both Latvia and Estonia and enable the utilisation of the offshore wind transmission cables as an interconnector between the two countries”.

Rasmus Errboe, head of continental Europe at Orsted, said: “The sheer size of offshore wind farms makes them ideal for cross-border hybrid solutions, and we commend the Estonian and Latvian governments for their leadership in advancing regional corporation on large-scale renewable energy production.

“The Baltic countries can to a large extend be powered by renewable energy from offshore wind, and we look forward to team up with Enefit to realise this potential.”

Offshore wind is seen by the Baltic nations as a key strategic route to reducing reliance on Russian energy supplies.