Enefit Green has presented the Tebra wind park project in Kurzeme
Renewable energy producer Enefit Green and its subsidiary Enercom have presented plans for Tebra Wind Park in the districts of South Kurzeme, Ventspils and Kuldīga. On 12 December, an initial public consultation was held during which the project plan was presented to the municipalities and potential residents in the vicinity of the wind park area and questions regarding the upcoming environmental impact assessment were discussed.
It is planned that Tebra Wind Park will have between 10 and 46 wind turbines, generating up to 850 gigawatt hours per year. This amount could provide for the annual electricity consumption of around 400,000 Latvian households.
During an online meeting with representatives of Enefit Green and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) developer Enviroprojekts, local residents were mainly interested in the spatial layout of the park, its impact on the landscape and neighbouring properties, as well as Enefit Green's experience with similar projects in other countries and the benefits for municipal development.
As Renewable Energy Project Manager at Enefit Green Sergejs Ribakovs explains, many of these issues will be clarified during the environmental impact assessment, but it is clear from the planning stage that the impact on the local community and natural areas is expected to be minimal, "The location of the park is mainly planned in forest clearings or copses, with no residential buildings on the site. The municipality will receive additional income from the wind farm on its territory, the extent of which will be determined by the Ministry of Climate and Energy, which is currently developing a common framework for this payment. In other countries where Enefit Green has implemented wind farm projects, it also cooperates closely with municipalities in infrastructure development or environmental improvement projects."
This is merely the first step in the assessing the project and work is currently under way on the environmental impact assessment of the potential wind farm, the results of which are expected to be presented at the beginning of 2025. Only after the results of the EIA have been agreed will it be possible to carry out the technical design of the wind park, determining exactly how many wind turbines can be installed and in which locations.
According to Sergejs Ribakovs, the experts involved are pleased with the constructive conversation that has taken place with local residents, as well as their active involvement. Early next year, residents will have the opportunity to participate in working groups to discuss in more detail any issues that remain unclear, and to voice their suggestions for the optimal layout of the park.