Eesti Energia may invest 1.5 billion euros in a 600 MW wind farm
29.07.2010, 11:53Estonia's state owned electricity producer Eesti Energia has plans to build an offshore wind farm that could cost around 23 billion kroons (1.5 billion euros), writes aripaev.ee
Eero Saava, manager of Eesti Energia's renewable energy projects, says that although the current plan is to instal over 300 wind generators in the offshore wind farm, the actual number could be between 100 and 120, depending on the results of the wind, wave and ice studies and environmental impact assessment.
The rotors of the wind generators would have a diametre of up to 125 metres, be installed up to 100 metres high and cover an area of 110 square kilometres.
In the first phase, Eesti Energia plans to instal 200 MW worth of wind generators or about a third of the total planned capacity. The cost of the first phase is about 500 million kroons.
As part of the project, Eesti Energia plans to build a 600 MW connection points on mainland Estonia that would cost 626 million kroons and would generate up to 780 GWh of electricity a year.
The problem is that the current electricity market law allows the state to pay wind energy producers subsidies only if their total production volume does not exceed 600 GWh. Eesti Energia has already announced that it plans to ask the lawmakers to increase the production quota.
This year the state will pay about 846 million kroons in alternative energy subsidies to producers of alternative energy. This money comes largely from the pockets of electricity consumers who each pay 12.6 cents in alternative energy fees a month.
The rotors of the wind generators would have a diametre of up to 125 metres, be installed up to 100 metres high and cover an area of 110 square kilometres.