Offshore wind farm in Lithuania
Our team has done a tremendous amount of work to assess the potential environmental impact of this wind farm, with many studies being carried out for the first time in Lithuania.
The work of the Coastal Research and Planning Institute (CORPI) contributes to Lithuania’s strategic goals of achieving national energy independence. Between 2021 and 2023, CORPI experts carried out studies and prepared an Environmental Impact Assessment for the country’s first planned offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea about 30 km off the coast of Palanga.
“The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) examined the potential impacts of the planned project on seawater, ambient air and climate, seabed and subsoil, underwater noise, landscape, biodiversity, cultural and material values, public health, assessed risks and transboundary impacts, carried out an analysis of alternatives, and provided for monitoring measures,” said Rosita Milerienė, Director of CORPI.
The assessment has identified likely impacts on benthic habitats with valuable mollusc communities and protected bird species due to disturbance and displacement from feeding areas within the boundaries of the planned wind farm and in the adjacent protected areas adjacent to the planned wind farm site – the Klaipėda-Ventspils Plateau Biosphere Reserve and the Natura 2000 Important Bird Area. “The report proposed measures to mitigate the negative impact and identified three alternatives for the development of the project, and of these, the most environmentally friendly alternative has been selected by the decision of the Environmental Protection Agency for the further implementation of the project – the offshore wind farm will be developed within 2 km from the boundary of the protected area “Natura 2000″” said CORPI ornithologist, responsible for the study of birds and bats, Julius Morkūnas.
The studies used the most advanced research methods to assess the potential impact on birds: bird abundance, species composition and behavioural parameters were assessed by monitoring birds from a flying boat and by recording bird migration flights using radar. The modern methodology of bird surveys from the air, developed by HiDef, was used for the first time not only in Lithuania but also in the Baltic States. To assess the potential impact, a plane from Denmark flew once a month throughout the bird wintering period and captured perching birds in Lithuania with photo/video cameras during the winter months, and then Lithuanian and German experts analysed the video footage collected by the plane. Even the movements of birds tagged with GPS transmitters were used for the analysis of bird movements.
Bat activity in the open sea was also investigated. The data collected during the surveys provided an estimate of the extremely low activity of these mammals at sea. Marine mammals were not forgotten, microphones were deployed in the study area specifically for guinea pigs, and seals were counted throughout the year by aerial and boat surveys.
Seabed and deep-sea surveys are an important part of the environmental impact assessment. Direct geological and remote seabed surveys were used for the assessment. A detailed seabed morphology diagram was drawn up, valuable areas of the seabed surface inhabited by protected seabed habitats were identified, sites of possible underwater cultural heritage were identified, and other obstacles on the seabed surface were identified. “Measurements of underwater noise levels prior to the installation of the VE Park – construction of the VE construction works – have been carried out, and numerical modelling has been carried out to assess the dispersion and intensity of the underwater noise generated during the installation of the foundations, as well as the potential impact on marine fauna. The modelling allows us to understand at the planning stage what mitigation measures will be necessary to protect the marine environment,” said Nerijus Blažauskas, Head of the PTPI Research Group.